The proliferation of smart phones and tablets in the workplace has meant that companies and employers have had to make major adjustments in recent years.
Two years ago, business smart phones were the sole domain of BlackBerry. But with booming sales -- up 80 per cent this year to almost 100 million units in the first quarter -- today's variety of mobile devices mean that IT departments are now dealing with a variety of tech issues.
That's why companies like Trellia, which provide cloud-based mobile device management, are offering new solutions.
Raffi Tchakmakjian, vice president of product management at Trellia, said that companies have a lot to deal with, considering the changing technologies.
"The iPad tablet and the iPhone are specifically the ones that are changing the game when it comes to smart phones and smart devices being adopted in the enterprise," he said.
"The Androids are following right behind, and they're going to grow as well. It's a very chaotic environment," he noted, adding that the multitude of new devices means consumers have a lot of choice.
Tchakmakjian said the problem with so many devices is the related security, cost and operational issues.
Another problem is when an employee leaves the company or loses their device, he said.
"[We] have tools in place that can right away nuke that device. [You can] wipe the device, and you can lock the device," he said.
Tchakmakjian said that another major problem occurs when employees bring in their own devices.
"That's one of those situations where the user says ‘it's my device, I don't want you to control it.' So it's not a technology situation there, it's more of a policy situation," he noted.
As more smart phones and tablets come on the market, Tchakmakjian says companies will have to learn to adapt.
"It's for your own good and for the enterprise's own good."
