The mobility trend has taken hold in our society. We won’t leave home or the office without a mobile phone and an increasing number of us rely on a smartphone to manage our calendars, communications and information. In fact, so important have these devices become that we pushed the concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) at work and gained support from those with the control.

The introduction of BYOD and mobile devices accessing the network also paved the way for mobile device management. Employees needed to stay connected, access social media networks, share files via Dropbox (News - Alert) and other sites and access the corporate network. To keep the corporate network safe, IT needed the right visibility and control over those devices, regardless of the owner. Mobile device management allows the best of both worlds.

For some environments, however, BYOD is already old news. These companies have already embraced the idea that employees need to be connected on the go with devices they enjoy using. Therefore, according to Infonetics (News - Alert) Research, they’re now seeking ways to balance the needs of the employees against the company’s need to be secure. They also need to make sure users aren’t trying to fly below IT management radar.

When IT can find the right balance, they are able to provide employees with what they want, without putting the corporation at risk. Mobile device management is a great first step, but companies need to take it to the next level. This often requires the use of enterprise mobility management, looking at habits and potential risks from the collective point of view. It also forces IT to better understand use and applications.

This is key as smartphones are expected to double by 2017, while tablets are expected to triple over the same period of time. The number of desktops is declining, yet the number of devices per person is consistently on the rise, placing more pressure on IT to keep track of the different devices in operation for different uses. Plus, these devices are finding their way into enterprise networks, putting more pressure on IT to manage multiple platforms so employees can remain productive.