2012 Predictions: Networking

Bring-Your-Own-Device offers potential in 2012

With the news that Google is also planning a iPad rivalling tablet, offices next year will be awash with wireless devices. Good times for wireless network installers is a easy prediction but managing all these annoying gadgets could also offer a plethora of revenue opportunities.

According to Koby Amedume, EMEA marketing director at Kaseya, 2012 then will be the year that IT departments will turn to the channel to help implement usage policies for mobile devices. “ those enterprises that have no usage policies in place will struggle to ensure that data protection and security measures are implemented.” The vendor’s own research shows that nearly one third of European businesses still have no usage polices in place for mobile devices.

But these mobile devices are not just going to be about the odd email. Video, VoIP and collaboration tools will be a growth area on mobile devices. “More and more employees want to be able to use the devices they love in a professional capacity, including having access to everything on one platform and for all communications tools to link together seamlessly,” says Jeremy Butt, VP of worldwide channels, Avaya

In his view, this will call for more advanced and agile platform technologies, such as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). Mobility is not a one had fits all approach and Butt believes that partners will now have to become much more industry-specific and focused on the nuances of that individual business and the sector in which it operates.

Some of the larger mobile operators like Vodafone and BT have or are currently rolling out mobile device management platforms to larger enterprises. Network vendors are also adding in mobile device management features into the stack and a good understating of smartphones, pads and hybrid devices will be handy commodity in 2012.