Being mobile-friendly is becoming increasingly important in business settings. This is because, according to an IDG Enterprise Mobility Survey from last year, smartphone and tablet use for work tasks have reached 66 and 46 percent respectively. This increase has led many business to start BYOD (bring your own device) policies where employees are encouraged to use their personal devices for work.
In the past, the majority of business-related mobile devices were fruit-based (i.e. BlackBerry and various Apple products). However, many in the industry believe Android is now poised to take over in terms of enterprise mobility, and here’s why:
OS Security
Android 5.0 (Lollipop), the latest operating system, came with a huge security overhaul. This included strengthening Android devices’ encryption, data access and system services control. All of this is made possible by Security Enabled Linux, which by design works to keep data safe from malicious software.
Innovation
Innovation drives the tech world and failure to keep up ends poorly. For now, Android has remained a few paces ahead of Apple in terms of expanded features for their devices. For instance, Apple has finally agreed that big screens are better and designed the newest iPhones to reflect this concept; however, the Android Galaxy phone series has featured bigger displays since 2012.
As Beta News writes:
Apple should look across the fence to see just how far its rivals are nowadays, and stop thinking that we are all living in a time when modest upgrades give us orgasms. While iPhones finally look to the recent past, doing what the competition has been able to do for years, Android smartphones are too far ahead.
Exciting New Enterprise Software
In addition to rolling out Android 5.0, Android has also released a specific operating system designed for businesses—Android for Work. This platform was specifically designed with enterprise security and IT control in mind. Android for Work also provides users with a friendly experience.
For IT workers, Android for Work brings a dashboard that integrates well with Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solutions. This integration will allow users to control enterprise data, management of devices (including the ability to set the devices up and remotely clear them) and various permissions for applications.
Will Android end up on top in the business technology world? Only time will tell. But Apple would be smart to pay attention.