It isn't news that Canadian technology company Research In Motion has been struggling lately. The company's once popular BlackBerry (News - Alert) line of mobile devices just doesn't seem to hold the appeal it once did, leading to rapidly declining market share and lower revenue. While RIM is hoping that its latest batch of BlackBerry devices, based on the new BlackBerry 10 OS, will be able to recapture consumer interest, the company has been exploring other avenues just in case.
Specifically, the company is releasing an offering called Mobile Fusion which will allow businesses to more easily manage a number of different smartphones and tablets. This offering demonstrates that RIM is moving forward and embracing the future which is, in this case, the rising popularity of BYOD (bring your own device).
Indeed, a recent global survey conducted by CSC (News - Alert) indicates that 45 percent of employees find their own personal device more useful for business than company-provided devices. A whopping 88 percent of respondents, meanwhile, stated that they believe the use of personal devices increases job satisfaction. However, while BYOD is gaining steam, 72 percent of companies stated that security incidents have increased since adopting BYOD.
This information is part of CSC's fourth annual CIO Barometer, which polled more than 300 directors across private, semi-public and public organizations throughout Europe and North America.
RIM's move to embrace BYOD is a bold one as the company's BlackBerry phones have long been the standard for business devices due to top-of-the-line security and mobile e-mail — not to mention a general overall focus on the enterprise. However, there's no sense holding onto the past and besides, organizations that don't implement a BYOD policy are likely to continue returning to BlackBerry devices time and again going forward.
RIM's recent
financial struggles have led to mass layoffs and a significant re-evaluation of priorities and as of now, it's unclear just where the company will stand in a year's time.
Edited by Rachel Ramsey