Study: iOS devices still dominate enterprise activation

The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) revolution is in full swing and it could be argued that it has become the norm in today's offices. Even if it is nothing more than checking company email on a smartphone, mobile devices have become an important tool in the corporate world. But with so many brand choices, does one deserve the first look? According to a new survey, yes.

According to the latest version of the Device Activation Report from Good Technology – a mobile solution provider – iOS devices (the iPad and iPhone) accounted for 77 percent of all activations in quarter 4 of 2012.The Android platform, which dropped to a 6.3 percent share of total device activations when compared to quarter four of 2011, came in at 22.7 percent.

"CIOs today are able to realize increased productivity by supporting a diverse set of mobile products, while retaining security and control, and still provide their employee consumers with product choice," Christy Wyatt, CEO and President of Good Technology, said in the report. "We continue to see more enterprise customers extending the accessibility of mobile applications to a broader employee population within their organizations."

The study also found that of the top 10 mobile devices activated in the final quarter of 2012, eight of them were Apple products with the iPhone 5 accounting for 32 percent of activations. Some of the only good news for Android is that in the tablet market, the mobile operating system jumped from 2.7 percent to 6.8 percent, showing they are gaining momentum.

The use of mobile devices in the corporate world is only going to get stronger in the months ahead. With Apple leading the pack, companies that are looking to take the plunge into mobile business would be wise to partner with an IT consulting firm that is familiar with iPad deployment.