Mobile devices were once malware immune, but as their ability to behave more like a computer increases, so does the inevitability that blackhats will find new and creative ways to infect these devices and siphon information one app at a time.

According to Gartner, mobile phones will become the most commonly used devices for web access by next year, overtaking the PC. Read how enterprise IT is expected to respond in years that come.

by Maribel Lopez, Principal Analyst, Lopez Research

So, which tablet did you receive over the holiday season? Was it the Kindle Fire, the Motorola Xoom, or the iPad?

Since its release last month, industry pundits have debated whether the low-cost Amazon kindle fire will be the one to disrupt the immense market lead enjoyed by the Apple iPad. Earlier discussions point to the fire as the best competitor yet...

In round one, we broke the two tablets out of their boxes and shared our initial impressions. In round two, our contenders showed us what they were made of as we cross-compared their tech specs. In round three, you learned what it would be like to use each of these tablets at home or the workplace. Now for the round you came to see: IT management capabilities! (if you haven't already, I highly recommend you watch a recording of the event here)

Last Thursday hundreds of people gathered around the ring to witness Apple's widely hailed iPad 2 take on the kindle fire, a contender on the rise in the tablet world (released on November 15th). It was a great day in tablet history and a dramatic fight until the very end. The fighters kept the crowd in it for the whole match and two lucky folks walked away with a free tablet of their own! Thanks to all who followed this event on Twitter (hashtag #maas360webinar). If you haven't had a chance, please share your thoughts about the webinar! For those who weren't in attendance I'll do my best to give a blow-by-blow account of each round, though I highly recommend you watch the official recording here.

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.

  Today Barnes & Noble sent out invitations to the media and IT community to "join [them] for a very special announcement," on November 7th. Fear not the obscurity of this message; the invitation is said to be under a Nook logo, giving us a fair amount of leeway to guess that a new tablet is on its way. If you still have your doubts, for what other reason would Barnes & Noble decide to double the size of its Nook boutiques in coming weeks?

Number 5: You will see an influx of both the original iPad and iPad 2 in your environment.  With the announcement of the iPad 2, previously owned or discounted original iPads will be available and more affordable for employees, while typical early adopters and Apple fans in your organization will continue to lead the path and bring this newest tablet into the fold.