IT managers daunted by mobile device security

IT managers are reluctant to take on the responsibility of managing the mobile devices that employees are increasingly using and integrating with enterprise applications.

This is according to a new report by Datamonitor, which is a leading provider of online data, analytic and forecasting platforms for key vertical sectors, with headquarters in London.

The report "Enterprise Mobility: Trend Analysis to 2012" also predicts global enterprise expenditure on mobile devices.

According to its forecast, mobile devices will grow from US$6 billion (S$8.15 billion) today to an estimated US$17 billion by 2012.

The report highlights that this kind of growth underlines the need for IT managers to begin to implement mobile device policies. "Enterprises are fighting a losing battle against employees when it comes to mobile devices and they should consider supporting a limited selection of devices rather than banning them outright", says Daniel Okubo, technology analyst with Datamonitor and the report's author.

Security concerns

According to the independent market analyst, security concerns are the largest barrier to mobility deployments.

In a Datamonitor survey of 467 IT managers, Chief Information Officers and IT decision makers conducted in March 2007 to establish issues that are currently preventing enterprises from investing in mobility solutions, the majority of the 467 respondents rated security as the greatest barrier to adoption of mobility solutions.

According to the study, as mobile devices like the iPhone are increasingly becoming popular among end users, enterprises are finding that employees want to be able to integrate their personal device with their corporate email account and other applications. They do not want one device for personal use and an IT issued device for work.

However, according to the report, so far very few IT departments have yielded to these changing scenarios and are refusing to be responsible for managing such a wide variety of mobile devices. It also notes that the iPhone has set a new standard for device userability and the trend of 'consumerization' is going to continue.

"There is an element of fear of the unknown", says Okubo. "Enterprises question how security will be managed and whether mobility technologies will fit into their current IT infrastructure."

Need for device management solutions

The report points out that now there are carriers such as Vodafone who have started realizing the problems that many enterprises face in managing devices. They have started offering hosted device management solutions. This means that if an employee loses their phone they can call their operator and they will wipe or lock it. Similarly if their phone is 'broken' they can contact their operator who can remotely diagnose and fix their device and install updates.

"The popularity of mobile devices in the consumer markets is forcing enterprises to consider how best to manage these devices in the workplace and they need to ensure they have clear policies in place to manage employee expectations," Okubo said.