Eighty-Four Percent of Respondents See Security Threat Due to Employee Loss, Theft or Misuse of Mobile Devices
LONDON and AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - May 16, 2013) - The proliferation of mobile devices in the workplace and the growing support for bring-your-own-device (BYOD) initiatives are clear trends global small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are experiencing first-hand, according to the results of a recent survey by Spiceworks. The study "As BYOD Becomes Mainstream, Complexity Increases for SMBs" revealed that 61 percent of SMBs have implemented a BYOD policy. However, despite this shift toward greater support, only 37 percent are managing or plan to manage mobile devices using a mobile device management (MDM) offering. The independent study was sponsored by Fiberlink, a leading1 provider of mobility management solutions for businesses.
"BYOD represents one of the most significant opportunities for businesses of all sizes to innovate, drive employee satisfaction, and reduce cost," said Neil Florio, VP of Marketing at Fiberlink. "As our customers embrace wider BYOD strategies, they need more agile and flexible tools to manage policies, support users, and secure corporate data. Cloud-based mobile device management is foundational to the success of these initiatives."
In order to identify mobile device trends at SMBs, Spiceworks surveyed 991 SMB IT professionals to better understand how their companies are managing their BYOD initiatives and associated devices. Highlights from the recent survey include:
BYOD Impact on IT
MDM Technology Adoption Shows Promise
"It's clear BYOD support will continue to grow so the industry conversation must evolve from 'whether to how' IT organizations can better manage and secure the devices employees bring to work each day," said Kathryn Pribish, Voice of IT program manager at Spiceworks. "The results of the survey also highlight an opportunity for mobile device management vendors to help SMBs understand the issues associated with BYOD policies and how MDM offerings can help."
For a complete list of survey findings, download the free report by visiting Spiceworks' Voice of IT webpage.
Methodology
"As BYOD Becomes Mainstream, Complexity Increases for SMBs" includes responses from 991 global IT decision makers. Those surveyed work in organizations with fewer than 1,000 employees and are among the more than 2.5 million SMB IT professionals in the Spiceworks Community. Sixty-eight percent of respondents are from North America with an additional 24 percent and six percent from EMEA and APAC respectively.
About Spiceworks Voice of IT
The Spiceworks Voice of IT market insights program publishes statistics, trends and opinions collected from small and mid-size business technology professionals worldwide. More than 500,000 IT professionals in over 100 countries have joined the program to share information and feedback on the technology issues important to them.
To receive updates on future research, follow Spiceworks Voice of IT on Twitter at @VoiceOfIT, and sign up for Spiceworks Voice of IT research e-mails at http://www.spiceworks.com/marketing/resources/. To learn more about Spiceworks' research programs and services, contact insights@spiceworks.com.
About Spiceworks
Spiceworks is the vertical network for IT that connects 2.5 million IT professionals with over 1,800 technology brands to simplify how IT professionals discover, buy and manage more than $450 billion in technology products and services each year. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Spiceworks is backed by Adams Street Partners, Tenaya Capital, Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), Shasta Ventures and Austin Ventures. For more information visit http://www.spiceworks.com.
Follow Spiceworks on Twitter: http://twitter.com/spiceworks. Connect with Spiceworks on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Spiceworks. Search for available career and networking opportunities on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/companies/spiceworks.
Spiceworks and Voice of IT are registered trademarks of Spiceworks, Inc. All other names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
1 According to Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Mobile Device Management Software, May 2012
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Adam Schaeffer
Spiceworks
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