Mobile phone market continues upward march, Gartner finds

Mobile phones have exploded in popularity during the past several years, thanks mostly to smartphones and their increasingly robust computing technology. The trend continued during the third quarter of 2011, Gartner recently announced, as overall sales continued to grow and Google's Android mobile operating system only strengthened its hold on the platform sector.

What this means for companies, of course, is that more vigilance will be necessary when comes to mobile device management. Add consumerization into the mix with increased mobile phone sales, and the most likely result will be more employees bringing their devices to work.

Experts agree that preparing an MDM solution ahead of time is the best way to prepare for an influx of consumer technology.

And this approach has never been more important than the present, as Gartner revealed that mobile phone sales increased to 440.5 million units during the third quarter. That was 5.6 percent higher compared to the same time in 2010, researchers said.

Smartphones sales, specifically, also remained strong between August and October, increasing an impressive 42 percent compared to the third quarter of 2010. Overall, shipments reached 115 million units the past three months - 7 percent more than the previous quarter.

In terms of platforms, Android continues to be the dominant force in the market, as its share surpassed 50 percent for the first time to reach 52.5 percent. The platform has grown rapidly during the past year, as Gartner also pointed out the fact that Android commanded just 25 percent of the market during the third quarter of 2010.

Apple's iOS had 15 percent market share, down from 16.6 percent last year, and Research In Motion's BlackBerry had 11 percent, a drop from the 15.4 percent it enjoyed a year ago.

It's important for mobility managers to use this information to better prepare for consumerization, experts say. A well-positioned MDM program will ensure that all the pitfalls of consumer technology - data security, control and the like - are mitigated.

Mark Gibbs, a mobility expert and CIO Magazine contributor, recently referred to the process of supporting personally-owned technology as the "consumerization grief process." Companies at first scoff at such devices, then bargain with employees before finally accepting these smartphones and tablets into the program.