With mobility on the rise, new devices and platforms are getting more attention than ever. But how do they compare? Check out this presentation for all the pros and cons of all the latest gadgets and operating systems. Marco Nielsen, Enterprise Mobile’s VP of Services, will walk you through the features of the newest devices on the market, as well as how each one aligns with business goals and mobility strategies.
ERICA: Your presenter today will be Marco Nielsen, Marco is the VP of Services and the Chief Mobility Architect at Enterprise Mobile. He leads the company’s services division. As one of Enterprise Mobile’s senior technical experts, Marco participates in the most complex and challenging projects, drawing on his technical expertise.
MARCO: Thank you for the introduction, Erica and thanks to all of you for attending. Things move fast in the world of mobility and perhaps the best evidence of that is the constant innovation we see. New devices and platforms are being released all of the time, each with more complex features and capabilities. Before we delve into specific devices on the market, let’s discuss some of the trends we’re seeing.
MARCO: First up, let’s discuss rugged devices. Whether your organization is providing employees with corporate-owned devices or operating under a bring-you-own-device (BYOD) model, a non-functional device won’t do anyone any good. Rugged devices offer protection from wear and tear, which means they often last longer and operate in a more diverse set of environments than their more delicate counterparts. Honeywell’s Dolphin 70e Black is targeting enterprise customer’s with it’s combination of sleek design and durability. Other devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active tout themselves as being “whatever-proof”, or semi-rugged. Your organization should determine what exactly that “whatever” is--be it water, dust, sun, etc--and then choose devices accordingly. Another option is to simply ruggedize a normal device, generally through the use of a special case. Either way, the devices should be part of your overall mobility strategy and follow the same support processes and management solutions. Another trend we’re seeing is dual persona. This is a highlight of BYOD. And whether it’s device, platform or application specific, dual persona allows users to keep separate environments for their work and personal use. This separation provides security both for the individual, and the organization providing or supporting the device. Samsung KNOX is an example of this push towards containerization, and Apple iOS 7 with new features to support this.
MARCO: There’s been a lot of press around Amazon’s new Kindle Fire HDX tablet and particularly its Mayday feature. While this feature is certainly appealing to consumers, it remains to be seen whether or not this type of functionality has a place in the enterprise. It’s easy to imagine a worst case scenario—an employee presses the May day button while confidential information is displayed on their screen, giving Amazon support a full view. Speaking of security, the latest Windows phone received all nine FIPS 140-2 certifications, making it an ideal phone for government use. Combine this with rumors of the upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 release, and we could see the tide turn back in favor of Microsoft and Nokia. There is still a lot of “up pint” support for Windows in firms that are full blown Microsoft shops. The Windows 8.1 upgrade happened a few weeks ago, and we should see updates on the management solutions to take advantage of these new management features in the next cycles. The Windows RT platform still lives and with the 8.1 upgrade may see a renewed life in the sun..
MARCO: Before I dive in to the pros and cons of the new iPhones, let me say that it’s the release of iOS7 that is being touted as Apple’s big enterprise play. We’ll get into the features of iOS7 later in today’s presentation but for now, let’s talk about the devices themselves.When it comes to the 5S, the improved battery life is great for business users. And who doesn’t love a better camera or cool new colors to choose from? One of the most buzzed about features is the “Touch ID” fingerprint reader. Enterprises can now implement a hard core PIN requirement, but the end users can use the fingerprint during daily usage. While this functionality may be a security win down the line, there are still some issues to be aware of. Fingerprint sensors aren’t new—many laptops already have this feature but the reality is, it’s rarely used and though the intention is to save time, if the feature doesn’t work perfectly. The phone doesn’t have an external memory slot so depending on what type of storage your employees need, you may be forced to provide models that come with more storage capability, as well as a hefty price tag.
MARCO: The cost of the 5C will certainly appeal to some users and organizations, particularly those operating under a BYOD model. In many BYOD environments, employees pay the difference between the cost of an iPhone and average device so by narrowing the price gap, more users may be attracted to this option. The sturdy build of the 5C has benefits too, whether the device is employee or company owned.Due to the similar specs as the older iPhone 5, I think of it as a more “hip” colorful replacement for it.
ERICA: At this time, we’d like to take a quick poll of the audience.
MARCO: As I mentioned during the “Trends” portion of today’s presentation, Windows is ready to compete for enterprise customers. The next release of the Windows Phone, rumored to be happening early next year, will certainly help their cause. While nothing is confirmed at this point, we anticipate the phone will come with a virtual assistant, Cortana, that will rival Apple’s Siri. The phone is also expected to play well with accessories, like Jawbone and Fitbit. Just two week’s ago we heard news of the release of Update 3 for Windows 8 but while this update will improve the current phone is many ways, it doesn’t mean a new version of the hardware itself isn’t coming. Even with Ballmer on his way out, Microsoft is still focused on “Devices and Services”. We will need to learn more if the current Windows Phone 8 devices will be upgradable to 8.1 next year.
MARCO: Rumors of the next Galaxy S5 device are swirling and they mainly pertain to the phone’s rugged design. The S4 Active is waterproof, dustproof, and functions in a variety of extreme conditions but it will be interesting to see if these features come standard with the next release of the phone, rather than only as part of a special version. It wouldn’t be entirely surprising, given that Samsung is competing with rivals like Sony and their Xperia devices. It would be assumed Samsung KNOX and Android 4.4 (KitKat) would be included. While it’s too early to regard any of the S5 rumors as fact, if much of the speculation turns out to be true, the S5 could be one of the most powerful devices of 2014.
MARCO: While not revolutionary compared to previous versions, the iPad Air has some nice features. Namely, the light, sleek build that manages to maintain the devices’ significant battery life. The iPad Air doesn’t necessarily have a new place within the enterprise, but organizations currently using or considering iPads will appreciate the upgrades. The biggest drawback, as always, is the price, especially in a marketplace with increasingly sophisticated alternatives running Android. Those looking for a lower iOS based price point can consider the iPad 2 or iPad Mini with Retina Display. The new iPad Mini has a better display and is faster than its predecessor.
MARCO: Now running Windows RT 8.1 with remote lockdown, encryption and VPN support, the Surface 2 is attractive to enterprise companies on the basis of security alone. Microsoft is also offering bulk discounts which is significant given how competitively priced this device already is. Though Microsoft hasn’t had the best luck marketing their tablets thus far, it’s worth paying attention to the Surface 2. The Surface 2 Pro is basically a full blown Windows 8.1 touchscreen laptop, but also carries a higher price tag than the Windows RT based one.
MARCO: Forrester is reporting that 1 in every 5 tablets will be an enterprise device by 2017. That means that along with iPads and Surfaces, there’s market share for other devices too. Android devices have yet to individually catch fire but some reports say that their cumulative share has already surpassed the iPad. In the enterprise we may see an uptick in corporate and/or BYOD usage with thinclient like solutions like Armor5, which can provide a secure corporate web application experience on any tablet or device.
MARCO: There are a number of wearable devices already available or in the pipeline, and they’re being developed by everyone from Sony to Samsung. Industry analysts suggest that the smart watch market will become a “major global industry” over the next several years and predict features like the incorporation of SIM cards, full-function mobile phones, voice-controlled UI, and more. With such advanced functionality, it’s certainly possible wearable devices could replace smartphones in the enterprise. Of course As these devices become more powerful, usable, and consumer/business applicable, then security risks will rise and thus the need to understand, and perhaps at some time manage them.Now, let’s take a look at a couple of the most attention-getting devices…
MARCO: If Google Glass doesn’t make you feel like the future is now, I don’t know what will. The “augmented reality experience” this device offers has the potential to change a lot of things, including the way we do business. Imagine an airline mechanic being able to consult a manual hands-free or a real estate agent having easy access to a property’s specs while giving a walk-through. Of course this new technology comes with a lot of unknowns. How will companies best manage these types of devices? What are the legal impacts? If you want to learn more about Google Glass, keep an eye out for their roadshow events. The tour kicked off on October 5th in Durham, North Carolina and although there hasn’t been an announcement of where Glass is headed next, Google has promised they’ll be making their way around the US. A new Glass Accessory store appears to be launching soon, and rumors about a 2nd gen upgrade to the current users, or “Explorers”. So we may see a general release of the product very soon.
MARCO: While slightly less futuristic than Google Glass, Samsung’s Galaxy Gear is pretty forward-thinking too. While the device isn’t meant to replace your smartphone, it does have many of the same features and can be useful for receiving information on the fly. General consensus is that this device isn’t quite ready for enterprise, or even consumer use, though. Users have reported lag time and inaccuracies with the voice memo feature and while the watch will let you know when you’ve received an email, it won’t provide any specifics of the message content. We’ll be keeping a close eye on wearable devices over the next year to see how the companies at the forefront of this trend can improve upon their first attempts and how consumers respond to the devices, since their approval is often a first step towards business adoption.
Most of the current smart watches presently resemble ‘dumbed-down smartphones’ or ‘geeked-up wristwatches’ and neither of these approaches will be successful in stimulating mass demand, especially not when the price is around USD 200.But for the devices that are running a full blown Android OS with data connectivity, there could be security impacts. Does an enterprise need or want to manage such devices? How can you prohibit them? They may be perceived as “geek” toys right now, but could they eventually with Glass or other displays, or voice commands, replace the cell-phones we have been carrying around the last 20 years?
As I mentioned earlier in our presentation, Apple is really working to appeal to enterprise customers with their new operating system. Some of the features of this OS include:- Improved device security, single-sign-on- App management capabilities, per app VPN- AirDrop and other tools that encourage intra office collaborationWith all that said, there are still some concerns that come with iOS7. The new activation lock feature seems like a good idea on the surface—who wouldn’t want to brick a device once it’s lost or stolen? Keep in mind though, that once a device is locked, there is no way to undo that. At an enterprise level, this means employees could lock their corporate-owned device to their personal Apple ID, whether accidentally or because they’re disgruntled, and that device becomes useless to the company that owns it. One way to partially circumvent this issue is with an HR policy that forces employees to “free” their phones using Find My Phone, which allows remote wiping.
Google released their own updated Nexus 5 device (developed by LG) the other week and finally announced availability of the latest Android 4.4 update to the world.It includes some incremental updates to the world’s most popular mobile platform. The voice commands are now automatically available in the home screen or in Google Now. Instead of “Okay Glass”, it’s “Okay Google”. An even closer usage of the Google services are being tied to the platform with Google Plus taking a key role. Quickoffice which Google acquired last year has also been “baked” in. Printing to the “Google Cloud Print” services is included in the platform.
MARCO: Though Windows 8 received mixed reviews, there are plenty of reasons to feel positive about the new 8.1 release. Windows 8.1 solves for many of the pain points users expressed previously by providing the ability to bypass the tiled Start screen, allowing users to set default apps, and bringing back the “Start button” (albeit in a limited capacity). Something to keep in mind with Windows 8.1 and all Windows devices are the Open MDM features. With Windows 8.1, organizations can use an Open Mobile Alliance-Device Management Application Programming Interface (OMA-DM AP)I agent to allow management of Windows 8.1 devices with virtually any mobile device management products. Additionally, Windows 8.1 PCs can be managed as mobile devices.
MARCO: Thank you for attending today’s webinar. It’s an exciting time for enterprise mobility and the new devices and platforms we have access to bring many opportunities, along with a few causes for concern.Understanding what their respective capabilities are, how and if they fit into your mobility strategy and how to manage them in the workplace, I think could excel your business and your customers. Feel free to ping us if you would like some help to understand some of the new technology and features I went through today.
MARCO: In addition to all the resources you can find on Enterprise Mobile’s website, we’d to invite you to attend next week’s webinar. Same place, same time, but next week we’ll be covering enterprise mobility predictions for 2014. You’ll receive an email thanking you for your attendance, along with a link to register for next week’s session. I hope we’ll see you all there.
MARCO: To wrap things up, we’d like to invite you to ask any questions you may have.
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