BYOD – Renovating the Mobile Office

(Apr 10 2012) 4G , 4G Device , Mobile Broadband , Mobile Internet , Smartphones

1. The arrival of 4G and a myriad new smartphone and tablets is resulting in mobile office ‘makeover’.  The early days of mobile office were simpler, at least for IT departments.  Mobile users were all issued the same device, likely it was a BlackBerry.  It was managed by a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) and the liability for security and usage resided corporately. 

   Today’s mobile enterprise users are demanding more.  With the increasing consumerization of enterprise mobility, new devices and applications are becoming an integral part of their everyday personal lives.  Users now want these same devices to provide them with access to their enterprise needs.  They don’t want to carry two devices and they want the freedom to choose their own device.

   With iPhones and 4G Android devices becoming the consumer’s smartphone of choice, enterprise IT departments need to reassess their mobile user environments.  Now add to the mix iPads and other connected 4G tablets and the problem challenge becomes even greater.    BYOD or ‘bring your own device’ users want access to enterprise email, application and corporate data and for IT departments this creates a security risk and a management nightmare.

   With a BlackBerry-based mobile enterprise solution security concerns are readily addressed with BES.  BES allows for secure communications and supports tracking and shutdown of lost or stolen BlackBerrys.  But supporting corporate-liable BYOD devices isn’t as easy as they can’t be managed by existing BES servers. 

   Several companies are now offering solutions to enterprise IT that will allow them to provide secure access to BYOD smartphone for email and some enterprise applications and data.  Vendors like Good, AirWatch and Mobile Iron are offering enterprise-grade mobile device management (MDM) solutions and some mobile operators, like Sprint are entering the fray with mobility management solutions which extend to all BYOD smartphones, including those tied to other carriers.  

   In addition to the ability to support a variety of devices, there are three essential components of any MDM solution – protect, control and connect.  An MDM should protect the mobile device, enterprise networks, enterprise and personal data.  It should manage devices, control access to network resources, control and gain insight into device security posture.  Finally, it should facilitate secure connections to corporate networks and service provider networks.

   RIM has recognized the challenge and the opportunity that BYOD users are bringing to the enterprise.  RIM recently launched BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion, the new mobile device management (MDM) solution that provides a single web-based unified interface for enterprise IT administrators to provision, audit and protect business and personal users of BlackBerry smartphones and Playbooks using the trusted BES server as well as BYOD Android and Apple iOS smartphone and tablet users through the Universal Device Service.    This bold initiative by RIM is long anticipated and will need to be marketed aggressively to compete against other vendors with a headstart in the MDM market. 

   Good’s solution, Good for Enterprise delivers a wider range of BYODs including not only iPhone and iPad but also Android, Windows Phone, Windows Mobile, Symbian, PalmOS platforms across a broad line-up of smartphones and tablets.  The Good MDM solution provides the essentials of remote device management and security and support for a suite of enterprise applications such as email, instant messaging and calendaring with a user’s personal or corporate device.

   Sprint Mobility Management, is a service the operator offers that implements security services, policy tracking and enforcement for mobile devices.  The hosted service allows enterprises to manage devices and usage, through an on-line portal.  Sprint has built the hosted offering using solutions from Bluefish Wireless, Manage Mobility and Vision Wireless.  Such hosted solutions provide typically provide the benefit of current and proactive security protection and are well-suited to both small and large business users.

   AirWatch is another market leader in enterprise-grade mobile device management, mobile application management and mobile content management solutions.  More than 1,700 customers worldwide are using the fast-growing AirWatch to manage their Android, Apple, BlackBerry, Symbian, and Windows mobile devices, tablets apps and content from a single console.  AirWatch was recently names a member of the Verizon Wireless Business Solutions Alliance program.  The rapid adoption of mobile devices and applications is also driving the growth of MobileIron, a leading innovator in enterprise mobile device management and security.  The MobileIron Virtual Smartphone Platform is the first solution to combine real-time wireless cost control with data-driven mobile device management across the Android, Apple IOS, BlackBerry, Symbian, and Windows phone operating systems.

   BYOD and MDM have emerged as critical issues for the 4G industry and enterprises.  At 4G World industry experts will engage with delegates to discuss the technology and business considerations for enabling an empowered mobile enterprise.  They’ll investigate the requirements for mobile security, provisioning, remote back-up and more and how this functionality can be integrated into IT’s tool box.

   By Andy Mitchell, Editor, 4G Trends

    

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