Mobile Device Security

Mobile device security and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) are hot growth sectors in the mobile industry. Dozens of vendors now offer numerous solutions to enterprise companies and SMB’s that prevent sensitive data from dripping into mobile devices. It’s challenging as podcast guest Ken Khouri of IBM Global Technology will tell you.

When Apple announced the release of its iPhone in 2007, followed by massive smartphone adoption over the years, IT executives sought data security solutions. New software and systems protect corporate data servers while distributing necessary information to the workforce on their mobile devices.

Even Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD is now the third most popular tablet in the growing enterprise BYOD ecosystem.

Mobile Device Security and BYOD Get Married

Once IT departments only provisioned and maintained BlackBerry smart phones for mobile employees mostly in sales and marketing. Now mobility has spread to all employees, who carry iPhones, Android, Windows and other devices. The BYOD era has forced IT managers to find efficient and secure connectivity for a mobile workforce.

In a sense, the “age of mobile” has spawned a blossoming new era of mobile device security and BYOD. People naturally want to bring their phones to work, especially the heavy users whom Joy Liuzzo calls “mobile intensives.”

Mobile Device Management (MDM) Competition Increases

in 2012, Gartner issued a report–commonly called the “Magic Quadrant--that identified MDM vendors divided into four boxes: leaders, visionaries, challengers and niche players. See the slideshare MDM presentation for all key players.

However, Gartner only included vendors who met its defined standards at that time. Others have entered the mobile device security market, like Novell, but find it challenging to compete against Gartner’s “blessed” players. Niche and value-added players will undoubtedly skim the cream off the top of MDM.

IT management in large part has adopted Gartner’s assessment of vendors who qualify as mobile device security companies. The research company also estimates that 65% of all enterprise companies will adopt MDM by 2017.

A few vendors in the list–such as AirWatch, MobileIron and IBM Global Services are key enterprise contenders, while other vendors, such as KACE/IT, want part of the BYOD action . Only time will tell which vendors best collaborate with enterprise IT managers in balancing mobile device security protecting enterprise data vs. social media privacy.

Mobile Device Security & BYOD: Podcast interview with Ken Khouri of IBM Global Technology Services

Ken Khouri discusses a recent Forrester study, commissioned by IBM and others.

Key highlights:

From BlackBerry’s to mobile smartphones. Company and employee concerns. Corporations want data security and distribution of right content to right employees; workforce wants smartphone choice
Importance of correct configurations for multiple devices
Third party vendors in the Enterprise offering heightened security and management of mobile devices
Forrester study engaged IBM clients (mainly a large European bank) to study productivity and improvements. Definition of productivity = added time in the day spent working
Increased worker output using new mobile app helps increase sales
$17M savings over three years; extra hour per week across organization increased ROI
“Soft factors,” such as increased social interactions, improve morale and performance (not from study)
Key steps at Enterprises or SMB’s to prepare employees and management for BYOD changes
BYOD mobile strategy development

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