[BizTrends 2016] Functionality, accessibility and security: top mobile ICT trends 2016

Paulo Ferreira

The rise of the phablet

One of the leading trends in the industry right now, specifically within the enterprise space, is size. Mobile devices are getting bigger in order to enable improved capabilities to handle the needs of the work environment. The answer to this is the phablet, which is a blend of smartphone and tablet with more power behind the processing and impressive productivity competencies. This looks to be the future of mobile devices for the enterprise environment with the IDC predicting that phablet sales will increase to contribute to over 32% of the smartphone market by 2018.

The larger screen size ensures productivity is easy and information accessible while remaining within the constraints of the phablet design - bigger than five inches, smaller than seven. It is a finite size, yet there is an enormous variety of combinations of battery, technology, power and capabilities that can be blended to create the perfect enterprise-ready device.

Business individuals lead the change when it comes to innovation and design. They want constant connectivity and information, and access needs to be seamless, secure and convenient. If a device is too big, too complex and difficult to secure it will lose ground to those that can be tailored to suit varied environments and requirements.

©Jozef Polc via 123RF

Connectivity is key

Another factor that will influence the rise of the phablet in terms of enterprise mobility solutions is improved connectivity. Applications that were previously limited due to poor network speeds are at present delivering on their remit, thanks to faster networks.

Enterprises now have a far greater scope when it comes to investing in devices for employees. The applications can include well-known software productivity solutions such as Microsoft Office, which comes as an out-of-the-box solution on Samsung's latest Galaxy devices. This reduces barrier to entry, ensures seamless sharing of information and enhances the user experience as a whole.

Security as a commodity

Finally, perhaps not a trend but rather an imperative is the issue of security. As hacking, theft and cybercrime show no signs of slowing down, security is going to become an even bigger priority for mobility within the ITC sector for 2016. Biometrics, security by identity and multiple authentication factors are going to lead the way in providing deeper protection over corporate data. Any solution must be capable of giving the enterprise and its ICT department superb control over how data is stored, shared and recovered.

Security has become as much a commodity as mobility and 2016 will see it evolve and change as prosumers and enterprises become more educated and technology more proficient.