October 2012 - Teletimes

56% of respondents in theMiddle East considered usingtheir own device as a rightrather than a privilege.According to ABI Research,2.4 billion employees will beusing smartphones in theoffice worldwide – a growthrate of nearly 17%. Looking atthe big picture, a report byMarketsandMarkets predictsthat the BYOD and enterprisemobility market will reachUSD181.39 billion by 2017,increasing by 15.17% each year.With Google’s annual MobilePlanet smartphone studyclaiming that the UAE alone hasa smartphone penetration rateof 62% and Ericsson’s secondTraffic and Market Reportrevealing that the Middle Eastas a whole enjoys a mobilepenetration rate of 96%, thereis enormous potential forBYOD uptake and accelerationacross the region. And forgood reason - analysis by globalmanagement consulting firmA.T. Kearney suggests thatBYOD can deliver savings ofup to 22%, taking into accountsoftware depreciation andmaintenance costs. A globalpilot study by a software firm,for example, reduced devicemanagement costs by 20% andthe budget for maintenanceand upgrade tasks by 80%.Aruba Networks’s findingschime with the notionof notable performanceenhancements, indicating that35% of organisations in EMEAexpect to improve coverageand capacity of their wirelessnetwork to support BYODinitiatives. Furthermore, 53%of organisations indicatedthey anticipate an increasein wireless investment in thecoming year.Nevertheless, the BYOD boomis not without its pitfalls. Astudy by Forrester Consultingfound that 86% of surveyedIT decision-makers in the UK,US and Germany pegged datasecurity as the number oneconcern, while almost half(47%) of enterprises allowingemployee-owned devicesto connect to a company’snetwork reported experienceof a data breach.Elsewhere, KnowBe4 andInformation TechnologyIntelligence Consulting flags upthe worrying observation that71% of businesses that allowBYOD have no specific policiesand procedures in place tosupport deployment and ensuresecurity. Common BYOD risksoften stem from the lack ofcompany-wide protection afteremployees download malwarehidden within legitimate apps,click on a malicious links oropen dubious attachments.“With an increasingly techsavvyworkforce and employeesfocused on productivity,companies in the MiddleEast have everything to gainfrom fully embracing theconsumerisation of IT trend andthe desire to be increasinglymobile,” said Dave Brook,GM Middle East, Dell, whichis a strategic sponsor of theConsumerisation of IT Forum.“The improved ability towork anywhere appears to bedriving higher productivity foremployers, with employeeslooking to be evaluated on theoutput of their work versusthe number of hours spent.These factors are redefiningthe workplace, and we feelthat, at Dell, we are providingthe products and solutionscompanies and employees arelooking for as they navigate thisnew environment.”André Scheffknecht, RegionalVice President NEEMEA atBritish IT security companySophos, said: “The MiddleEast is one of the world’smost tech hungry regionsand BYOD is understandablyset to grow exponentially.To this end, a degree ofpragmatism is needed in thebusiness community, as wellas a measured approach toadaptation that avoids securityrisks and cost-intensivemishaps. By being aware ofthe risks and collaboratingwith companies like Sophos,significant benefits can beunlocked to drive everythingfrom overall efficiency toinnovation and creativityamong the workforce.”Trixee Loh, Senior VicePresident at Dubai World TradeCentre, organiser of GITEX,added: “BYOD is one of themost significant developmentsin the ICT sector and we aredelighted to draw attention toits dramatic influence at ourConsumerisation of IT Forum.Bringing together some of theworld’s top experts on thesubject our goal is, as ever, toinform, educate and facilitatethe connections that can helpbusinesses become moreempowered. GITEX TechnologyWeek is proud to be at theforefront of understandingthis crucial trend and helpingdecision-makers across theregion manage its manybenefits.”Now in its 32nd year, GITEXTechnology Week connectsmore than 138,000 ICTprofessionals from 144countries and over 3,500suppliers from 77 countriesacross five continents, making itone of the world’s top three ICTexhibitions. This year’s GITEXTechnology Week is themed“Where Technology MeansBusiness”.10 October 2012www.teletimesinternational.com