Enterprise Mobile Device Enrollment Rose 72% in 2014: Citrix

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iPhones, iPads and a “Galaxy” of Android devices flooded into the workplace last year.

Today’s release of the latest Citrix Mobile Analytics Report reveals that last year, worldwide mobile device enrollment was up 72 percent compared to 2013. Apple emerged as the most work-friendly mobile platform with 64 percent of all enrollments, followed by Android (27 percent) and Windows (9 percent).

Device preferences differ by region and industry, Citrix found. In a statement, the company noted that “Android is gaining popularity in Asia, and Windows is more than twice as popular in EMEA (16 percent) as it is in North America (7 percent).” Banks and brokerages are particularly fond of Apple, “with 71 percent of managed devices in the financial industry being on iOS and 39 percent penetration of managed Android devices in healthcare,” said Citrix. Windows, meanwhile, is finding some success in manufacturing with 7 percent adoption.

In terms of protecting those devices and the data they contain, 90 percent of businesses have implemented passcode policies. Twenty-seven percent of businesses admit to placing restrictions on device use, while another 27 percent manage Wi-Fi access. Another 11 percent require the use of virtual private networks (VPN) to access sensitive information and company resources.

In terms of apps, businesses are largely shunning “third-party productivity apps that may lack enterprise-grade security,” stated the report. “Top blacklisted apps include GPS, Keep Alives, Dropbox, Mail, Facebook and Twitter.”

On the other side of the coin, the list of top whitelisted, or permitted, apps include Adobe Reader, OneNote, Lync, Facebook and Twitter. Regarding the blacklisted-whitelisted overlap in social apps, Citrix’s findings suggest “that while some companies block these apps from personal use, others may allow them for marketing purposes.”

The launch of Apple’s long-awaited, phablet-sized iPhone 6 Plus smartphone did more than help the Cupertino, Calif.-based company set sales records — it increased demand for mobile data. “iPhone 6 Plus subscribers generate twice as much data volume as iPhone 6 subscribers – mobile data customers need to be aware of this impact on cost of associated mobile data plans,” said the report, further noting that users are exhibiting data usage patterns similar to tablet owners.

Users are consuming mobile data for 4.6 minutes at a time, on average, peaking at 9 p.m. with 6.7 minutes. The lowest levels of mobile engagement are at 4 a.m. with 2.7 minutes. Citrix recommends that telecoms and mobile network operators “adapt to subscriber demand by leveraging a dynamic and flexible mobile network infrastructure.”

Pedro Hernandez is a contributing editor at Datamation. Follow him on Twitter @ecoINSITE.

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