Good Technology has released their annual report detailing the spread of device activations for Q2. Good are well known for being at the forefront of providing technology for IT departments to facilitate users who wish to use their own devices for work, commonly referred to as BYOD, or to allow departments to use technology that's not quite as secure or manageable out of the box. The premise is simple; the software provides a heavily encrypted shell to keep corporate email private and secure. Windows Phone is making its presence known in the workplace according to this report.
The Good Windows Phone client was only debuted in April 2012 but already it’s showing as accounting for 1.2% of the overall activations. Bear in mind that the lion’s share of activations are currently going to the non-enterprise friendly, but current executive fondle-thing-business toy, the IPad. The iPad is accounting for a whopping 94.5 of all activations.
Good seem upbeat on Windows Phone in the following quote:-
"Windows Phone also made its debut in Good’s data report in the quarter following Good’s release of Windows Phone 7.5 support in April 2012. While Windows Phone only accounted for 1.2 percent of overall activations in Q2, Good expects this number to grow in future quarters as additional devices become available."
Good go on to mention that whilst the number is currently small they suggest the knock-on effect of Windows 8 might boost that number down the line. Something most of us are expecting, a halo effect of the Metro re-imagining of Microsoft and its key technologies.
"In Q2, Windows Phone devices accounted for 1.2 percent of total smartphone activations. It remains to be seen if the rollout of Microsoft’s Windows 8 OS for both smartphones and tablets spurs an increase in use of Windows devices within the enterprise."
Firstly, it’s great to see Windows Phone showing some visibility in the Enterprise. Secondly, it’s nice to hear that Good also have similar sentiments to ourselves. Windows 8 may prove to be the catalyst for wider adoption of Windows Phone. But if we just look at one statistic, that of the iPad, clocking in at 94.5% of activations it’s easy to see the potential for Windows 8 to disrupt that completely. Windows 8 will bring with it enterprise level security and manageability, Windows Phone 8 will also be touting some great corporate desirables. If there is one place Windows Phone should have been a long time ago it was in business. The email client on the phone, combined with easy document viewing and editing should have meant it was a no-brainer.
If indeed Microsoft continues to deliver on its program of re-imagining itself and its core technologies then the overall effect should be a new eco-system and a value proposition that both consumer and business can no longer afford to ignore.
As ever, we want your feedback. Do you think Windows Phone is good in business? Will the iPad survive the Windows 8 tablet onslaught on the enterprise? If you work in an IT shop, would be great to hear your thoughts on Windows Phone. Comment is free.
