BYOD Security, Management an Issue for IT: Gartner
The bring your own device trend has created new opportunities for businesses looking to increase productivity from mobile employees and remote offices, but security remains a top concern for IT departments in the enterprise, according to a report from IT research firm Gartner, which found 86 percent of enterprise respondents are planning to purchase media tablets like an Apple iPad this year.
According to the survey, the security top issues included the use of privately owned devices and deployment of new enterprise mobile platforms. Gartner recommended focusing on mobile data protection (MDP), network access control (NAC), and mobile device management (MDM) tools. Survey results also indicate enterprises are providing support for BYOD programs, offering technical support for 32 percent of smartphones, 37 percent of tablets and 44 percent of laptops. However, the report noted that support varied greatly by region.
"Healthy growth in smartphone and media tablet shipments over the next five years will enable a much higher level of IT consumerization than is currently possible," Chae-Gi Lee, research director at Gartner, said in a prepared statement. "Enterprises should recognize this and look to 'mobile enable' their IT infrastructure for employees to meet the growing demand for mobile device use in the enterprise IT environment."
