Question 2: How important is secure email? Even so, Android’s openness will still be an advantage with these other variables factored in. Management, maintenance and security are variables that can shift the cost equation, as are the varying plans from different carriers. However, cost involves much more than the price of the handset.
If your organization seeks a low-cost platform, Android is the way to go. Consumers can choose from low-cost “starter” smartphones or up-market “exclusive” devices with fancy bells and whistles – and everything in between. Competition drove prices down and gave manufacturers and carriers the ability to differentiate on price, features, or both. As with Windows’ dominance of the desktop, two of the main factors leading to the number-one position are price and availability.Īndroid made its OS available to multiple hardware manufacturers and carriers. This past quarter, according to comScore, Android passed RIM and iPhone to vault into the number-one position for the first time. The Android, conversely, made the smartphone a mass-market device. The iPhone is an up-market device, and, if Apple’s history is a guide, it will remain so indefinitely. Question 1: How much are you willing to spend? Here are five questions CIOs and IT organizations should ask to assess each platform’s strengths and weaknesses, and best match the smartphone OS to employee needs. In this case, pick a specific platform, select a few low-risk apps, and make a slow transition. Consumers are purchasing Android and iPhone devices in droves.Ī good strategy for any big change is to start small. After all, just because an organization lags behind a significant technology shift doesn’t mean its employees will also. The delay will only heighten the problem.
These new devices are the most desired smartphones for every demographic group that Nielsen studied.īusiness and IT leaders realize that these devices are coming, yet they are unsure about how to move forward. Recent Nielsen surveys show that BlackBerry users covet iPhones and Androids. Moreover, current BlackBerry users are looking to make the leap to these newer devices. It offers a known set of policies.īoth iPhone and Android are already flooding past corporate gate keepers. It delivers control to IT, integrating well with Microsoft Exchange.
BlackBerry Enterprise Server is something they know and trust. Most companies are taking a wait-and-see approach to confirm whether these new platforms are feasible for business. Commentary - BlackBerry has owned the enterprise smartphone market for years but is quickly losing ground to iPhone and Android.