Top 5 mobility predictions for 2017

Each year, we take a moment to reflect on recent experiences helping companies discover meaningful mobility and detail our expectations in this space for the coming year. Below are not only our top five mobility predictions for 2017, but quick tips on how you can address them in your organization.

1. Mobile devices will cause data breaches to increase.
   More than likely, some of you reading this will experience a data breach due to insecure mobile device use. Mobile cybersecurity is now a boardroom issue, as data is the crown jewel of any business. While data will drive sales and growth, the mishandling or lack of security surrounding data will result in severe fines and loss of business. Gartner reports that by 2020, 60% of digital businesses will suffer major service failures due to the inability of IT security teams to manage digital risk.

   Solution: Senior leadership must place cybersecurity as a key priority for the future. Organizations should perform a complete Mobile Health Assessment, including a review of mobile device usage policies and security settings, and consider installing a Mobile Threat Prevention solution for zero day attacks.

2. Companies will perform a re-evaluation of MDM/EMM solutions.
   Due to changing requirements at organizations, many will re-evaluate the solutions currently in place for managing and securing the mobile environment. EMM vendors such as VMware AirWatch, Good for Enterprise (GFE) by BlackBerry, MobileIron and Microsoft Intune are going through transformation. GFE, for example, sent end-of-life notifications to its customers in October, forcing companies to migrate to the new BlackBerry Enterprise Mobility Suite or consider other solutions.

   Solution: Based on your long-term strategy, compare various solutions for ease of management and total cost of ownership. Consider upgrading your present EMM solution to better manage and increase functionality for your mobile end users.

3. Users will enjoy mobile productivity.
   As more employees use mobile devices to do work and assist customers, businesses will reap the rewards. Accessing company data outside the office, checking out customers in the store and providing patient data in the hospital rooms are just a few examples of the new requirements employees will have.

   Solution: To determine how to maximize your mobile ROI, explore devices, applications and integrations that could significantly increase productivity. Find ways to leverage mobility to enhance customer service, increase employee satisfaction and satisfy other stakeholders.

4. IT teams will implement unified endpoint management (UEM).
   Employees use a variety of devices (i.e., smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops), operating systems and form factors. Therefore, IT departments will use UEM to simplify and integrate this mix of devices into secure and consistent access to corporate resources. End users will enjoy personalized access to specific applications and data regardless of whether the device is company owned or personally owned, all in the same format.

   Solution: Consider your comprehensive mobile strategy and how best to manage mobile devices along with new Windows 10 devices. With the rise of Windows 10, IT can manage desktops and laptops with the same granularity as mobile devices, all while saving time and money.

5. Businesses will consider EMM and mobile threat prevention (MTP) strategies.
   We all know that mobile attacks and vulnerabilities are increasing. Mobile devices are the target because the presence of a microphone, camera, text history, call history, app data and more makes smartphones the device where our most sensitive information lives. That’s why in 2016, we saw a surge in MTP deployments by enterprises in the finance, healthcare, government and energy sectors. Additionally, Gartner predicts that by 2019, 25% of mobile-ready enterprises will deploy mobile threat protection solutions on enterprise-issued mobile devices.

   Solution: Propose the installation of an MTP product in situations where BYOD (bring your own device) users are unwilling to allow EMM supervision on their personal devices. MTP products emphasize individual protection rather than enterprise monitoring. Additionally, MTP products such as Check Point Protect can be integrated with the compliance engine of an EMM product like VMware AirWatch to automate the deployment of the Protect app. AirWatch can prevent the loss of enterprise data in the case of an attack until MTP remediates the malware/intrusion on the device. Keep in mind this integration of protection is important on both BYOD and company-owned assets.

If you’re looking for a trusted partner to help your organization implement, refine or maximize the value of mobility solutions in your organization in response to our mobility predictions for 2017 or your own, contact us at Tech Orchard. We can help you make 2017 a secure, productive, mobile success.