ABI Research says that upwards of 1 billion smartphones will enter the market over the next 5 years. And currently, approximately 65 million Americans own a smartphone. Media tablets are also growing in popularity; media tablet sales reached 19.5 million units in 2010. Many employees’ use smartphones and tablets for work related purposes, including Androids, iPhones, and BlackBerries. The BlackBerry phones have a strong encryption system that can be based on multiple factors instead of simply relying on the user’s PIN.

However, it is crucial that companies have appropriate mobile device management systems in place. Many companies rely on BYOD policies, which can raise security issues.If a company’s employees have iPhones, the company should have iPhone management and iPhone security polices and procedures. iPhone security and iPhone management refers to the process of managing the hundreds of iphones used by employees of a company. This mostly has to do with issues surrounding inventory of iphones and security of data on iphones should they be lost or stolen. For example, if an employees’ phone is stolen, and the phone contained sensitive company data or information, the consequences could be catastrophic. Therefore, it is crucial that a company have iPhone management and iPhone security policies in place. Many forms of mobile device management software allow a phone to be wiped remotely in the case, destroying any kind of sensitive information.

Additionally, companies should also look into patch management software. Patch management software assists large company IT managers in keeping the latest updates on computers and devices to avoid any problems with viruses. With hundreds of computers an IT manager needs assistance identifying, tracking and fixing computers and devices that are not up to date. Mobile devices are great assets in business, however it is essential that companies properly secure and manage their employees’ mobile devices. Find more on this here.