The launch of the Kindle Fire HDX 7 today highlights not only growing consumer interest in the Android platform, but also the level of sophistication that devices and software run on it have reached.
But what does this increased level of interest in Android from consumers mean for businesses as the adoption of BYOx continues to increase? Will it just add another security risk? It might. According to recent research, commissioned by AppSense, UK IT decision makers believe that Android devices are a high security risk for businesses to support within their organisation, compared to only 23% believing Apple’s iOS to be a similar risk.
But with Android devices growing in popularity and, more worryingly, the growing number of Android flavours (commonly referred to as Android fragmentation) businesses need to stop thinking about the device and start thinking about how they will manage BYOx and users.
Simon Townsend, chief technologist – EMEA at AppSense, tells us that he thinks IT will need to shift its focus from managing devices and platforms to managing people and how they use data.
He notes: "IT will have to move to be more service centric and less about purchasing and configuring devices and operating systems. This is the only way for IT to achieve its long-term goals of managing BYOx effectively within the enterprise. Whilst we would congratulate Amazon on a releasing a device with superb technical specs at a price that is attractive to many, it does add to the challenge of does IT manage Android."
