Apps Tech News

Microsoft’s Surface Pro tablet has had a rocky start, with the International Data Center (IDC) pegging Q1 2013 estimates at just 900,000 (compare to Apple iPad’s 19.5 million!), causing IDC analyst Tom Mainelli to slam it with: “It’s just not there yet.”

BlackBerry chief exec Thorsten Heins, in an interview at the Milken Institute Conference in Los Angeles, has questioned the long term potential of the tablet, stating they are “not a good business model”. But is he right, in terms of the enterprise space?

A new report from Forrester Research, entitled ‘Navigating Diversity in Operating Systems and Browsers’, has cast more doubt on the future of Internet Explorer (IE) as the browser of choice in the workplace – and BYOD is at the heart of this paradigm shift. “For both OSes and browsers, bring your own (BYO) behaviour has undercut IT’s traditional role in dictating user choices,” report author J.P. Gownder explained.

Making your company fully mobilised and continuing the consumerisation of IT trend of course is not a quick fix, with various problems needing to be resolved. But for the benefits it brings then it’s definitely something to consider, according to the research.

A UK-based study from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has detailed a “laissez-faire” attitude to personal device policies which could lead to corporate network weaknesses, and gives a series of best practice BYOD tips for companies looking to ‘consumerise’.

The much-anticipated Surface Pro launch was met with widespread shortages, with reports of long lines of would-be buyers in Seattle and Bellevue. Within a matter of hours, the 128 GB version had sold out online. If these shortages are an accurate reflection of the demand Microsoft was hoping for, it’s just a matter of time before the first Surface Pros (and their kin) start appearing in your organisation.

Just recently, the email accounts of former U.S. president George W. Bush, his father George H.W. Bush and several other family members and friends were broken into, and private details exposed. In the past three months, attacks against U.S. credit unions, many different companies, and the heightened prominence of phishing attempts should prompt IT departments to explore ways to more easily move their users into 'no more passwords' territory.

A report released today by Mobile@Ogilvy has looked into how mobile can transform the enterprise, products and services and marketing spheres, claiming that BYOD helps provide “smart mobility” to organisations.