Blog skyhook logo Industry Leader Airwatch Comments on Direction of Mobile Security in Our New eBook

Mar 4, 2014 10:54:00 AM

Industry Leader Airwatch Comments on Direction of Mobile Security in Our New eBook

Posted by Skyhook

Read All Posts

Mobile device management (MDM) will mature in 2014, growing into a $1.6 billion industry according to Gartner Inc. and over the next five years, 65% of corporations will adopt MDM to address security concerns from smartphones and tablets. As the industry progresses beyond serving large corporations and catering to decision makers in IT and operations-only roles, it will be the new standard for IT. Businesses of all industries and sizes will look to secure their data as bring-your-own-device (BYOD) becomes a workplace norm. MDM providers that thrive in 2014 will be those that provide holistic solutions that fit not only into existing technology platforms, but into their end users’ lives.

airwatchlogoSkyhook gets the inside scoop from Blake Brannon, the Senior Sales Engineer at AirWatch, on the changes the MDM industry is facing in 2014, the challenges of bring-your-own-device (BYOD), and the position that third party developers play in the growth of MDM and MAM.

 

 

1. What is the biggest change your industry faces in 2014?

There are actually three big changes taking place in the mobile security industry right now.

  • First, organizations are being forced to abandon BlackBerry and pick an alternative platform. Whereas in the past, many businesses may have just allowed iOS, Android and Windows devices in the workplace – most commonly in a BYOD setting – organizations now have to fully embrace these platforms for their mobile initiatives to succeed. Some organizations have already taken the leap while others are now being forced.

  • Secondly, as more and more organizations begin to adopt BYOD, IT has to create more governance around privacy, with legal and HR departments contributing to BYOD policies. Today, most organizations really only involve IT and security when defining their BYOD policies and procedures. Policies will start to encompass more governance from various groups within the company, including legal and HR.

  • Finally, machine-to-machine and the Internet of Things (IoT) are both advancing very quickly. We’re seeing peripheral devices, like smart watches, Google Glasses and cars, come to life in the mobile ecosystem. As more and more of these devices adopt smart technology and connect to one another, we’ll see an increasing need for security – both at an enterprise and user level.

2. What new platforms and types of devices are your clients becoming increasingly interested in supporting?

We’re seeing a lot of organizations adopting platforms like iOS and Android within their corporate infrastructure, and Windows Phone is also gaining in popularity. Apple, Android and Windows have all stepped up their enterprise security capabilities in recent releases, and they all continue to develop new features to meet the increasing demand of companies migrating away from BlackBerry. Samsung KNOX and Windows 8.1 are good examples of newer mobile platforms that are focused on the enterprise; additionally, Intel has announced their platform architecture at the chipset level with enterprise focus. We are also seeing increased demand in managing non-traditional devices such as Apple TVs, Chrome books and M2M devices.

3. What is the biggest challenge or opportunity for your company brought about by BYOD?

Most BYOD programs have been very technology-centric, with the IT team leading the initiative and with very little involvement from legal teams or HR. I think there will be an increasing need for these three departments to work together on BYOD programs, especially as emerging lawsuits bring privacy regulations to the forefront of discussion. One of the biggest changes and opportunities around BYOD is going to be this cross-department collaboration on BYOD policies.

4. What role do 3rd party developers play in the growth of MDM and MAM?

Application development is what drives business transformation, and MDM and MAM are the frameworks that help enable this change. Developers play a critical role in that they are tasked with taking traditional business processes and making them accessible, intuitive and effective from mobile devices.

Key Takeaways:

BYOD brings various devices to the workplace including: mobile phones, tablets, laptops and even wearables. As the MDM industry hits a period of growth and becomes integrated with all businesses, it is important for MDM companies to think about longevity in the market, moving beyond security to support enterprise and third party applications.  

Location technology will play a significant role in MDM in the coming years. It has evolved beyond basic device tracking to create new security features and opportunities for integration with other technology. In the coming years of mass integration with IT, location will help MDM providers tackle a number of enterprise challenges with finesse. MDM_PragueMDM_eBook_for_blog_CTA.jpg

MDM_Prague