The rise of mobile devices has allowed for some substantial new benefits to business users. From improved flexibility to certain mobile-only applications to even a mobile workforce, the mobile device has often brought with it quite a bit of value. But for all that value, it's also brought some challenges with it, particularly related to security of proprietary information. That in turn has driven something of a demand for mobile device management (MDM) capability. That market has not only grown, but also begun to change, particularly in Australia, as detailed by a new report from Frost & Sullivan.
The Frost & Sullivan report in question, titled “Analysis of the Australian Mobile Device Management Market 2014,” shows that the market for MDM solutions over the next two to three years is primed for some very strong growth. Over the course of the period 2013 through 2020, the market for MDM is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32 percent, with the market expected to hit a total value of $51.6 million by 2016. Driven by both growth within individual markets—businesses taking on new approaches like the bring your own device (BYOD) concept as well as issuing mobile devices for use within the operation itself are helping—as well as growth in the total number of verticals involved, like healthcare and government operations stepping into the field. Meanwhile, MDM vendors are increasing presence in the field with a series of acquisitions, like Citrix did with Zenprise in 2013, and like VMware did with AirWatch in 2014.
But the expansion of the market is prompting changes as well. As explained by Frost & Sullivan's head of research in ICT practice, Audrey William, “Employee requirements are becoming more complex and integrating existing applications is becoming increasingly important for organizations to achieve greater employee collaboration and productivity. Organizations will look for a wider range of functionality from their mobile management platforms, resulting in a shift away from pure MDM solutions to wider enterprise mobility management (EMM) solutions. This growth in the EMM market is expected to significantly impact the MDM market in Australia with solutions needing to be bundled with EMM solutions in the future.”
A market that's growing in complexity, utility and variety really should expect to grow in general terms, so it's not too surprising that Frost & Sullivan is projecting growth on this front, even at the level it's currently projecting said growth. With further new adaptations in both MDM and EMM, it's a safe bet that even more growth will emerge as there are simply more ways to do things, and do more things besides. Throw in the increase in machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, which looks to bring in completely different devices like heating and air conditioning systems and the picture gets more complicated, and the market gets larger to match.
It's clear that MDM is a market that must grow to keep pace with the rest of the field, and as it becomes part of the EMM market as well, there's a lot of cross-selling going on in here that lends well to growth. The field is likely to change rapidly, so even Frost & Sullivan's projections may not ultimately come to pass, but it's a pretty safe bet that it's got at least something like the right of it.
Edited by
Alisen Downey