Enterprise security in the smartphone world is a huge metric for just how much usage a certain manufacturer or operating system may get. In the world of enterprise, Apple gets the most usage in the mobile class right now, at least in the US. A paper from Tech Pro Research indicates as much, and that Apple is generally thought of as the most secure smartphone maker out there. The connection isn’t hard to make. When it comes to the enterprise world, security is one of the biggest factors in choosing hardware. Corporate secrets, passwords, key figures and other instrumental data could cause utter disaster, should it fall into the wrong hands. Basic device security, how hard a device is to hack, how easy security features are to use, and what security features may be present all factor into an IT department’s device purchase decisions.
According to that same data, however, Samsung is gaining ground. In usage, Samsung managed to nab 62 percent of survey takers, while Apple got 67 percent. Though there is some overlap, the numbers are still plenty close. The interesting part of the data, however, was that there was still a large gap between the general perception of Apple and Samsung devices when it comes to security. Specifically, most of those surveyed indicated that they consider Apple to be more secure. Despite this, Samsung has managed to really sink their teeth into the enterprise market, giving Apple a run for their money. This proves that, while security is important to businesses when deciding on a device, it’s not everything.
Through the use of initiatives like Knox, moves in the Big Data segment, and Mobile Security Assessment, Samsung has managed to make a good name for themselves in the world of enterprise security. Since Samsung is practically synonymous with Android, this means that they have managed to push Android into the spotlight for enterprise, and that is a big move against Apple. While many business still use operating systems that only work on x86 processors, like Windows and Mac OS,many are increasingly moving toward using mobile OSes like Android, WebOS, Tizen and iOS, and even open-source solutions catered to ARM hardware, like the ARM versions of Ubuntu for end user clients and ARM ports of OSes like Arch Linux, RedHat and Kali for network administration equipment. Even if it’s not a holistic shift toward Samsung’s own equipment, a shift toward ARM equipment is beneficial for them. Despite recently putting out their first Windows 2 in 1 tablet, it’s safe to say that Samsung’s device lineup is predominantly ARM-based. While Apple may have a leg in the ARM race, so to speak, with iOS and the iPad Pro, Samsung already has a wide range of phones, tablets and all manner of other ARM equipment, like thin and zero clients, to help them get the upper hand on Apple. User perception of their security is key in getting these devices into employees’ hands.
About 51 percent of survey respondents said that the iPhone was great for security, while only 30 percent said the same of Samsung’s Galaxy lineup, indicating that the Korean giant has some serious catching up to do in regards to user perception. The best way to do that would be to get more devices into administrators’ and users’ hands. Whether they choose to do that through marketing, demos, consultations or any other means is all up to their corporate strategy department, but the fact is that the enterprise sector is up for grabs for Samsung, if they can just beat out Apple. If they can do it, it will mark an important milestone in enterprise and mobile; Samsung is the best candidate to make Android relevant in the enterprise security conversation.