A few years ago, it might have seemed out of the ordinary for people to have a smartphone – a phone that could access e-mail, documents, the Internet and a multitude of apps. Today, it’s odd if people don’t have one, especially in the workplace. In 2012, IDC (News - Alert) research found 68 percent of smartphones used for global business were owned by employees.

This shift in prevalence of employee-owned devices from corporate-issued devices is forcing organizations to consider the ramifications of such ownership on the security of its applications, data and content. Companies in 2012 generally conceded that BYOD is unstoppable. Forrester (News - Alert) estimates 37 percent of organizations today allow employees to connect personally owned smartphones to company networks, and 34 percent allow hook-ups for personally owned touch tablets. That's up from 34 percent and 30 percent, respectively, in 2011.

"Companies that actively support BYOD create a more flexible, agile workplace, lower employee-related costs and increase employee satisfaction," says Kurt Roemer, chief security strategist at virtualization firm Citrix. "BYOD allows workers to better manage their complex lives by interspersing work and home activities."

According to mobile industry analysts, BYOD participants can expect to give up control of their devices as companies plan to impose much tighter security constraints. Mobile device management solutions are expected to jump in adoption this year, as they offer visibility and control of mobile devices entering the enterprise. Sales of MDM systems rose to $790 million in 2012, up from $445 million in 2011, and are projected to climb 36 percent annually for the next few years to reach $1.8 billion by 2016, according to IDC.

Fiberlink is a provider of MDM solution MaaS360, which also offers capabilities for mobile app management, secure document sharing, mobile expense management and other services. It is the only Gartner Magic Quadrant leader to give companies robust mobile device, app and content management from a multitenant cloud platform.

Join Fiberlink and Stephen Drake (News - Alert), program vice president for mobility and telecom research at IDC today, Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, for a webinar, “Managing Mobile Chaos” to learn the steps required to successfully manage and secure your business’ mobile ecosystem.

Register here!

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