Enterprises that wait to adopt a mobile-first strategy set to fail, report finds

According to a new industry report, 1 in 3 enterprises are sending their employees to work in challenging conditions without the latest available equipment and technology, increasing the potential for data leakages and data breaches.

In collaboration with IQPC and Enterprise Mobility Exchange, a new global report titled “Racing Toward the Future of Enterprise Mobility,” has been published by enterprise mobility and IoT management provider SOTI Inc. Whether driving innovation, changing user behavior or improving data management, the report indicates mobility is at the heart of many business strategies. Enterprises cite security and privacy concerns as major hurdles they need to overcome, or at least feel in control of, before they can lay the groundwork to enhance their productivity, lower operating costs, and innovate.

Report reveals ‘staggering’ data and mobile security threats
Among the key areas of the report, fresh statistics are revealed around data and mobile security threats. More than a third (31%), of respondents revealed they had experienced a data breach within the past two years, making this a major part of any IT team’s focus. Perhaps most shockingly, more than a quarter (27%) of surveyed enterprises admitted that they either do not currently comply with national or global mobile device protection regulations or are completely unaware if they do.

Additionally, more than half of respondents surveyed in the report cited five key mobile security concerns for their enterprises: data leakages (70%), data breaches (61%), phishing attacks (55%), mobile malware (54%) and malicious apps (47%). Respondents in the US said they were less concerned about mobile malware (51%) than respondents with operations in India (75%), Germany (78%) and the UK (80%), however. This is also the case when it comes to personal data collection and misuse, with just 41% citing it as a major concern in the US, compared with 69% in Canada, 70% in the UK, 72% in France and 78% in Germany.

Modern workforce myths uncovered
Within the industry report, it was found that 1 in 3 enterprises aren’t equipping their field workforce with the right technology to carry out their jobs. With respect to providing support to business-critical roles such as front-line mobile workers in the field, the report shows that 65% of organizations are deploying mobile devices, but a sizable minority of 28% are not.

Organizations lacking a mobile-first mindset risk hampering operational success and jeopardizing worker productivity. It is, therefore, concerning that almost two-thirds of organizations are resisting mobile transformation, with 64% of our survey respondents revealing that workplace culture is their leading challenge to overcome.

Setting the scene for IoT and 5G
The split between organizations that are and are not leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT) is startling, revealing that not all are convinced by the potential of IoT. The survey saw 45% saying yes when asked if their organization was leveraging IoT, meaning more than half are not, despite a sizable 76% of survey respondents agreeing that IoT offers their enterprises improved productivity.

Shash Anand, Vice President of Product Strategy at SOTI, comments: “The need to place mobility management and innovation at the heart of an organization’s strategy, or risk data breaches and the associated damage to reputation and customer relationships is paramount. It’s crucial that enterprises provide employees with access to the latest upgrades, apps and devices alongside robust employee education to form a core mobile transformation strategy. A forward-looking mobile strategy leads to satisfied staff and customers, a win-win for any business.“

The respondents to the exclusive survey were either the influencer or direct purchaser of the technology or mobility solutions within their enterprise, each highlighting varying challenges, current abilities and capacity to embrace change, and ultimate corporate aspirations and goals.

To download the “Racing Toward the Future of Enterprise Mobility” report, click here.