IT must learn how to manage the new freedoms handed to their workers since the advent of the smartphone. Can they do so without stepping on any toes?

When new smartphones and tablets hit the market, we are curious to learn what new features they bring to the table. In general, what makes an iPhone different from an Android phone or tablet is what makes each great in its own way. Adjustments to size, speed, and user interface can work in different users' favor depending on their lifestyle habits or more recently, their profession.

Technology has made March Madness madder than ever, giving the term a whole new meaning around the office. Especially with games tipping off between the hours of 9 and 5. According to a recent survey of 500 IT professionals (conducted by Braun Research), the NCAA college basketball tournament has been identified by 42% as a corporate network inhibitor. 37% reported slower speeds and 34% say the hoops tourny shut down their network for an extended period of time. It's easy to imagine how this is happening with employees streaming games from their work computers. The chances of your employees engaging in the same type of activity is relatively high. Bracketology, after all, can leave pride, money, and other unspeakables on the table.

The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend has picked up a lot of steam in recent months and doesn't look to be slowing down any time soon. Technological advances, a growing number of mobile workers, and gadget affordability have all played a role in the takeoff process. In some ways this trend presents cause for concern; an increasing number of employees are sitting in their company's drivers seat and calling the shots in ways they shouldn't be. The device-types supported in a given corporate environment are no longer stemming from the will of the IT director. In many cases the line is being drawn by the employees who are bringing their personal-owned devices to the office.

Did you know that around 45% of the mobile workforce has a job that is compatible with a certain amount of mobile commuting? Wow!

The enhanced access to information provided by greater use of smartphones and tablets among employees has created inherent data security risks.

Recently, the MaaS360 MDM solution achieved an important certification under the U.S. Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) by the GSA. Google and Salesforce.com are the only other cloud providers who have achieved this certification from the GSA. We've maintained our position as the pioneer in SaaS (software-as-a-service) solutions for secure mobile device and app management. Now that we're a FISMA-certified company, we've become the preferred solution for many Federal agencies.

This Fall we have seen a couple of new announcements in the smartphone market – iOS 5, iPhone 4S, Motorola Droid Razr, Samsung Galaxy Nexus and now Windows Phone 7.5.  Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5, an update to Windows Phone 7, addresses the major shortcomings of its predecessor and is fast becoming a popular alternative to many iOS and Android devices.

Just five years ago, probably even two, it was more than likely that the mobile phone you had for work was a BlackBerry smartphone from Research In Motion.