The enterprise market for mobile devices is heating up, according to ABI research. The firm says that current sales of Android devices as they relate to enterprise solutions is roughly $54 billion. That’s expected to rise to $92 billion by 2018.
This is also evidence by the BYOD craze that’s sweeping businesses, and security measures such as Samsung’s KNOX or LG’s Gate. Both allow for customers to use their devices as normal, but also require an enterprise VPN such as Citrix before working with company servers.
The forecast encompassed six Android OEMs: HTC, Huawei, LG, Motorola Mobility, Samsung, and ZTE. Half of those manufacturers current;y make Windows Phones as well, which are more intrinsically tied into enterprise solutions. While popular with enterprise customers, Windows Phone is not very popular with consumers, as many prefer Android to any other platform.
Security issues have long been a concern for many enterprise customers as it relate to mobile devices, but those days are long gone. In an increasingly mobile environment, Android has made big strides in building a secure platform for businesses, and have many built-in features like Drive to make the platform more attractive. The market is also a battleground, moving forward.
Enterprise promises to be a sticking point among the major platforms, moving forward. As Blackberry — traditionally an enterprise favorite — continues to consider their next move(s), Android and others will have an opportunity to seize the market share left behind. With lower cost devices and a growing list of enterprise friendly apps, Android promises to gain a large piece of that segment.
