There is no denying Android’s appeal in the consumer market. The operating system is used by two-thirds of all smartphone users across the world, and is the most favored on for OEMs. Its customizability is unmatched by any other operating system and Google has been remarkably fast in addressing bugs or problems. However, the story in the enterprise arena is completely different. The same facets that are Android’s strengths in the consumer space become a threat for business users.
CIO’s have been against Android over the years, because of fragmentation and difficulty in mobile device management. There are security concerns because of Google’s liberal app policies and its very expensive for IT to control what data each app is accessing. Further, consumers like Android because it comes mostly in low-to-mid range phones, while companies tend to dismiss it for the same reason. Companies are more inclined towards iOS devices, which are premium priced. Overall, iOS is the most commonly used mobile operating system in the enterprise space. But, according to several CIO’s, this trend may not be changing.
Several organizations, including some large ones, are now veering towards BYOD. In these cases, Android phones are entering the business space through consumers. Moreover, Google’s attempts at increasing security and reducing the frequency of updates are also paying off. Phone makers like Samsung have brought Android into the high-end price range, and therefore the price issue for company executives is also in the process of getting eliminated. According to data from IDC, Android devices are most likely to be the ones brought into the company network due to BYOD. The research company reports that 87.7 million Android devices will be shipped to workplaces in 2013, out of which 15.1 will be to individuals that are going to bring these phones to work.
Michael Woodford, executive director of IT technical services USANA Health Sciences, was quoted saying that his technical staff uses Android for network management, remote access, systems control and other administrative purposes. The company has reportedly seen a lot of success with the operating system. Woodford claims that Android could go a long way with better quality control and fewer versions. In contrast, Shaun Beighle, CIO at the International Republican Institute, believes that Android is not yet viable as a business OS as the security issues with it are just too high to overlook.
