Strong enterprise demand for data security is driving rapid growth in mobile device management services. According to a new study by ABI Research, the number of smartphones protected by advanced security software will increase fivefold over the next five years.
Enterprises with mobile workforces have growing concerns about lost and stolen handsets, due to the increasing amount of data stored on a typical smartphone. In addition, organizations that deal with financial data, healthcare information, or personal identification have to comply with several regulatory requirements for protecting data, wherever it is stored.
Future handsets will come with pre-loaded anti-virus software clients to prevent the loss of data and services to malware. In many cases, mobile banking and person-to-person payments will be authenticated by fingerprint sensors on the handset.
“Although malware has been seen in mobile handsets, in the past it has not done much damage,” says Stan Schatt, VP, ABI Research. “But smartphones have access to more sensitive data every year, and security must be tightened to prevent the theft or loss of important business information.”
The solution: security client software loaded on a mobile terminal, and a service to remotely lock a handset, erase its data, or locate it. Large enterprises will buy mobile device management platforms to use within their IT departments, and smaller enterprises or even consumers will use managed security services, as wireless carriers increasingly offer security services to their customers.
ABI Research’s study Mobile Device Security provides market data and projections for security client applications, mobile device management services, and hardware solutions such as fingerprint sensors. The report explains the strengths and weaknesses of various smartphone operating systems, and the strategies of smartphone vendors in preventing malware.
The Mobile Device Security report is available as a part of two ABI Research Services: Business Mobility and Enterprise Communications, which also include other Research Reports, Research Briefs, Market Data, ABI Insights, an ABI Vendor Matrix, and analyst inquiry support. (Source: ABI Research/GST)