BlackBerry has owned the enterprise smartphone market for a long time but is swiftly losing ground to iPhone and Android. Most firms are taking a wait-and-see approach to confirm whether these new platforms are feasible for organization. BlackBerry Enterprise Server is one thing they know and rely on. It delivers management to IT, integrating properly with Microsoft Exchange. It provides a recognized set of policies.

But alter is coming.

The two iPhone and Android are by now flooding previous corporate gate keepers. Moreover, latest BlackBerry customers are looking to make the leap to those more recent gadgets. Latest Nielsen surveys display that BlackBerry users covet iPhones and Androids. These new gadgets are the most preferred smartphones for each demographic group that Nielsen studied.

Business and IT leaders comprehend that these products are coming, yet they're not sure about how you can move ahead. The delay will only heighten the problem. Right after all, simply because an organization lags behind a significant technological innovation shift doesn, t imply its workers will also. Buyers are purchasing Android and iPhone devices in droves.

A good technique for any huge alter is usually to begin modest. With this scenario, pick a specific platform, select several low-risk apps, and make a slow transition.

Here are 5 concerns CIOs and IT organizations should ask to assess each platform, s strengths and weaknesses, and best match the smartphone OS to worker wants.

Question 1: Simply how much have you been prepared to spend?
The iPhone is definitely an up-market device, and, if Apple, s history is a guide, it's going to remain so indefinitely. The Android, conversely, produced the smartphone a mass-market gadget. This past quarter, in accordance to comScore, Android handed RIM and iPhone to vault into the number-one placement for the 1st time. As with Windows, dominance from the desktop, two from the main components foremost towards the number-one placement are price tag and availability.

Android manufactured its OS available to numerous hardware manufacturers and carriers. Competition drove charges down and gave suppliers and carriers the capability to differentiate on price, functions, or the two. Customers can choose from low-cost "starter" smartphones or up-market "exclusive" gadgets with fancy bells and whistles ¡§C and everything in in between.

If your organization seeks a low-cost platform, Android may be the approach to go. However, cost entails considerably a lot more than the cost from the handset. Management, servicing and security are variables which will shift the price equation, as are the varying ideas from different carriers. Even so, Android, s openness will still be an benefit with these other variables factored in.

Winner: Android.

Question 2: How essential is safe e mail?
Secure integration with enterprise electronic mail and policy enforcement are two of BlackBerry, s major strengths and will continue being so for a while. Each iPhone and Android, even though, aren, t far behind. Every integrates tightly with Microsoft Exchange and has other enterprise security attributes, these as remote wipe, complicated passwords, and info encryption.

Winner: Draw

Question 3: How crucial will be the end consumer experience?
Android, s open-source working system permits for alternative. Makers are totally free to customize user interfaces, add customized attributes and provide support for new sorts of rich media. Buyers, then, can choose media-rich phones from HTC, social-media ones from Samsung/T-Mobile or business-focused phones from Motorola. Android, s openness implies that manufactures can make a machine to appeal to each demographic. With iPhone, you only get one particular gadget ¡§C take it or leave.

What Android can't get is consistency. Android chooses selection (no pun intended) in the expense of platform fragmentation and a cohesive user knowledge. You cannot have both.

The iPhone, on the other hand, values a consistent person experience far more than alternative. The availability of only one new gadget each year makes certain buyers a managed and consistent person experience. Furthermore, Apple can be a master of smooth, intuitive Person Interfaces. Even when you, re not an Apple fan, it is possible to, t disregard pioneering function Apple has accomplished with Person Interface style ¡§C every little thing in the desktop to MP3 gamers to smartphones and now tablets.

Apple controls a lot more than just the expertise about the iPhone. Their iTunes and App Retailer software serves as controlled ecosystems that let individuals locate apps for operate, play and almost everything in between. Considering that Apple controls the whole expertise in the Computer for the iPhone, customers get consistency.

Winner: iPhone

Question 4: How important are apps and app security?
One of the main drawbacks of Android, s openness is reflected in how they approve apps for distribution around the Android Industry. Primarily, they don, t have an approval process. The Android Market place doesn't scrutinize apps ahead of distributing. This was highlighted not long ago when malware showed up in the Android Market place. The iPhone, s strictly curated app submission procedure aids Apple dodge bullets like that.

The iPhone also much more tightly controls the underlying hardware, carrier relationships, as well as the APIs that third-party application has accessibility to. Consequently, Apple can a lot more quickly limit the iPhone, s coverage to different protection threats.

The iPhone, s standing as an up-market specialized niche mobile phone also positive aspects protection. And, to take a look at the desktop for some historic guidance, Microsoft, s wide-net distribution approach set it up as the number-one target for hackers and malware. Exactly the same pattern may possibly properly repeat by itself with smartphones. Apple is cozy offering far more unique merchandise with lower-volume shipments. A side-benefit of that game strategy is Apple already understands and has thought through the security implications of its market standing.

Android, meanwhile, gets to be a larger, juicer target with each passing day.

Winner: iPhone

Question 5: How will the machine interoperate with existing back-end programs?
For the enterprise, the concern is integration with important (and high-priced) enterprise applications. If your organization desires to give mobile customers access to CRM, SFA, billing methods and also other back-end applications, Android, s openness will provide the least amount of friction from position A (no access) to level B (mobile productivity).

Android gives a lot more API hooks than iOS. This implies you can find a lot more prospects for organizations to develop their very own strong back-end apps if none by now exist for them. Apple iOS delivers significantly less energy in what developers can get advantage of.

Winner: Android.

Final Verdict
There you have it: a tie. If you, re a European football fan, you won, t be all that disappointed. Readers inside the U.s. hooked on American football, baseball and also North American hockey (they not too long ago phased out ties) will not likely be content.

Sadly, there, s no straightforward answer. The winner varies relying on user preferences. Should you are still on the fence, right here are three other concerns that may assist you to determine which platform is correct for you:

* What do the different carrier ideas appear like in your town?
* How trustworthy will be the coverage (both voice and data), and how several dead spots are there in your area?
* What products do your workers currently own for his or her personal use? Is there a clear winner?

Don't forget, your personnel are already selecting their device of selection. A lot more usually than not, they, re starting up to work with it for function. It, s only a issue of time just before you'll have to make the change to 1 of these newer platforms.