Organisations choose iOS over Android for secure mobile apps

Organisations are adopting an increasing variety of apps to secure corporate information, and choosing iOS over every other operating system, according to the Good Technology Mobility Index Report.

The acceleration of secure work app deployments enables users to perform work-related and personal activities on the same device, protecting user information, such as email, contacts, voicemails, SMS, location, says Good Technology.

Currently, 67% of organisations now using two or more apps beyond email, and as such are rapidly mobilising content and apps while strengthening their cyber resiliency.

Furthermore, the average organisation now uses almost three and a half apps in addition to email, with secure browser leading all app categories for a third quarter in a row, says Good Technology.

iOS retained the top spot for device activations, despite seeing a drop in overall market share for a second straight quarter, falling from 70% to 64%. Android market share grew to 32%, while Windows landed at 3%.

The tablet market shifted dramatically, as they begin to replace laptops. iOS fell from 81% to 64%, while Android grew to 25%. Windows grew from 4% to 11%, which is noteworthy given its 1% share just two quarters ago, says Good Technology.

iOS continued to outpace Android in regulated industries, such as public sector (79%), education (76%) and healthcare (70%).

Furthermore, for the first time, Android moved ahead of iOS in high tech (53%) and saw significant gains in energy (48%) and manufacturing (42%).

"As the mobile device displaces the desktop as the primary computing platform, enterprise mobility is enabling employees with the secure apps and content they need," says Christy Wyatt, Good Technology chairman and CEO.

"We continue to see security at the heart of every enterprise conversation, coupled with end user privacy concerns.

"Now more than ever, organisations require a platform that enables them to deploy secure-based apps while protecting end user privacy with containerisation," she says.

Good Technology's report findings indicated that employees are requesting secure mobile access to corporate information located behind the firewall.

The top five app categories across devices are secure browser, custom apps, secure instant messaging (IM), document editing and document access.

Closely following secure browsing for most widely deployed app, custom app activations expanded into a growing set of industries.

The biggest custom app growth occurred in energy and utilities, which grew from a negligible number to 49% in just one quarter, while insurance continued to be an aggressive adopter of custom apps with 32% of all apps being custom built, says Good Technology.

Financial services firms, where speed to decision is key to profitability, continued to invest heavily in secure IM, the company says.

Business and professional services show high demand for document workflows, with document editing apps and document access apps representing 37% and 15%, respectively, of apps used by law firms, consulting firms and accountancies.

Government agencies and other public sector institutions also focused their mobile initiatives on the document-based workflows.