Until not that long ago choosing a mobile device for your business was simple – it would be a Blackberry.  Their messaging ability and more importantly the ability to deploy, manage and secure them in a business was light years ahead of the competition.

However things change rapidly in the technology world and for many businesses Blackberries are yesterday’s news. And the new reality is that a huge variety of mobile device types and operating systems can be present in your business, many of which are likely to be owned by your employees, many of whom may have more than one device with company data on them.

So what challenges does this proliferation of mobile devices present to the SME?

Control of your data

With more and more devices connected to your business systems, particularly email, keeping control of who views confidential corporate data becomes ever more important.  This may have implications both for your company, particularly if your business has intellectual property, but also for your clients, who may require guarantees on the security of their data.

Regulatory compliance

Businesses in regulated industries such as financial services, pharmaceutical and professional services need to be able to demonstrate they meet the recommendations and requirements of their governing bodies.  These may include encryption of confidential data or protecting information held and transmitted on individuals.

Security

Mobile devices are lost, stolen or misplaced far more frequently than laptops.  And with many staff now having two or more mobile devices receiving data from your corporate networks the implications for data security are plain to see.

Management

With more staff wanting mobile devices connected to your networks and many staff connecting multiple devices, this quickly becomes a headache for IT who must provision, track and wipe them.  The overhead can quickly become a financial burden on the business.

To learn more contact Pro Drive on 0330 124 3599 and find out how mobile computing can help give your business an edge.