Over the past few years, I’ve read many articles that show the staggering growth of mobile devices mapped against a corresponding decline in PC sales. Why is this occurring? One might think that on the surface, the popularity of mobile devices stems from the deep attachment that users feel for the device itself. There's many things to like, because unlike PC’s, mobile devices are always ready to use, they're portable enough to go just about anywhere, and the battery lasts for days.
However, the love of the device only partially explains these trends. It explains why mobile device sales are on the rise, but it does not explain why PC shipments are on the decline. In my opinion, the correlation lies at a deeper level. I believe that it’s not just the device that people want, but rather it’s the new applications that mobile devices enable. In the past, the PC was the only option that you had for employee computing. Whether or not it was the best tool for the job, it was the only choice available. It's one size fits all. With mobile devices added to the mix, both users (in the case of BYOD) and the organization can choose the best platform for the applications that they need. For some, it will be a PC, but for others, it will be a mobile device. Mobile devices are becoming the preferred platform for many types of business scenarios and many applications.
However, the desire to embrace mobile devices has to be weighed against the pressing need for stronger security. Businesses need to protect their applications and data and ensure that it stays out of the wrong hands. This is especially true for mobile devices, which need to be safely enabled before they are suitable for business use.
This week we announced PAN-OS 6.0, and with it a key update called GlobalProtect Mobile Security Manager. GlobalProtect Mobile Security Manager extends GlobalProtect in a manner to help organizations address the three critical requirements for mobile security: manage the device, protect the device, and control the data. Up until now, organizations struggled to figure out how to address these needs. With GlobalProtect, customers can get an integrated solution that delivers the protection necessary to safely enable mobile devices.
If you’re interested in learning more about how GlobalProtect can open the door to extend your business to mobile devices, click here. If you have any questions, feel free to post a comment.