Apple iOS and Android now supported by almost 50 percent of US companies, but BlackBerry still leads

BOSTON, USA: According to recent end-user research conducted by Strategy Analytics, the number of US companies supporting Google Android and Apple iOS has reached unprecedented levels of adoption. At 42 percent and 49 percent respectively, these operating systems still trail the RIM BlackBerry which, at 72 percent, remains the top corporate mobile phone choice.

The Strategy Analytics Wireless Enterprise Strategies (WES) service report, “2011 Enterprise Mobility Mid-Year Recap and Outlook,” also reveals an average of 11 percent employee-owned devices (BYOD—Bring-Your-Own Device) that are reimbursed by US businesses.

“In contrast to the relatively modest, but growing level of reimbursement for BYOD devices, the exponential growth in enterprise support for iOS and Android suggests that Apple and Android devices and supporting ecosystems are gaining credibility in their own right as corporate standard-issue with appropriate levels of IT support,” commented Andrew Brown, director of Wireless Enterprise Strategies service, and author of the report. “Nevertheless, IT policy management remains a challenge, suggesting a major opportunity for mobile device and application management solutions.”