The Analysis of the Mobile Endpoint Security Products Market - Tackling the Shift to Mobility with a Strong Endpoint Security Solution

I recently published Frost & Sullivan’s 2011 Analysis of the Mobile Endpoint Security Products Market - Tackling the Shift to Mobility with a Strong Endpoint Security Solution. The study is already available on Frost.com for our Information Security subscribers.

Smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices are quickly replacing traditional laptops and desktops. As we continue to hear the terms bring your own device (BYOD), security and device management is becoming a crucial topic. With the proliferation of smartphones and tablets, the risk of losing corporate or personal data is heightened. The launch of the iPhone in 2008 drove the adoption and acceptance of smartphones in both the consumer and corporate segments of the market, so much that often times individuals use a single smartphone to conduct both business and personal matters. Frost & Sullivan estimates that in 2011, the global smartphone and tablet market reached 509.1 million units shipped and we expect growth in to continue. Specifically, we expect to see increased growth within the Android device market as they gain acceptance within the corporate market. In turn, this will ultimately create more security risks and headaches for IT administrators.

As this market continues to grow, hackers will continue efforts to target smartphones for theft of personal and/or corporate data. With increased demand for mobility, hackers now understand the vastness of the opportunity it presents, and as a result the threat landscape for mobile devices has rapidly evolved to create significant challenges for businesses implementing a mobile strategy.  As mobile computing continues to expand with the mobile workforce, cyber criminals will continue to place significant focus on this lowest hanging fruit because of its enormous profit potential.

With the global explosion of wireless devices, software developers have responded to market demands by creating a vast and growing number of business and productivity applications for the mobile workforce. Although this has been a positive development for mobile workers and their employers, organizations continue to struggle to centrally to manage application deployment and ensure that security protection on mobile devices can keep business critical data safe.

With the growth of smartphones and tablets, end users are extending their computer endpoints to these smaller personal devices. Endpoint security vendors are challenged to offer consumer mobile security solutions that provide the same level of protection as one would expect from a typical desktop or laptop computer. While mobile security offerings have evolved from simply protecting devices from anti-malware, protection from malicious applications has become a critical functionality and essential to any solution. As a result, many security companies are offering mobile anti-malware solutions in conjunction with application scanning and protection of data on the device. For the enterprise, endpoint security companies are combining mobile device management solutions. Companies are going beyond just protecting the mobile device, but are now leveraging their capabilities to manage beyond the PC to manage iOS, Android, and Windows mobile devices.  

Refer to Frost & Sullivan’s annual global market study “Analysis of the Mobile Endpoint Security Products Market – Tackling the shift to mobility with a strong endpoint security solution” for more information regarding revenue growth, market trends, and competitive analysis.

Martha Gomez Vazquez is occasionally allowed out of her cube, but if not then she can be reached by e-mail martha.vazquez@frost.com