A report released by ClickSoftware, using data from over 200 of its global enterprise customers collected over eight years, shows that over the course of the report’s data, customers have moved away from predominantly using a Microsoft operating system (OS), to embracing Android with 67% of customers now using it as the OS of choice.
The report also found that while the functionality of smartphones is ever increasing, with 59% of customers now using them, 14% of customers still use specialist equipment such as rugged PDAs whilst mobile working.
Other highlights show that ClickSoftware customers are increasingly using a flexible approach to the choice of hardware used, with nearly half (45%) of enterprise businesses offering employees a Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) option. While the majority of ClickSoftware’s customers (59%), operate via smartphones, in the really heavy industries such as diversified utility companies, 61% use rugged laptops.
Cloud technology is also proving to be a big disruptor with customers. In 2008 very few ClickSoftware customers employed a cloud solution. According to the latest data, over half (54%) of customers are now using a cloud solution with Australia and New Zealand (93% of customers) being the market with the highest adoption rates, followed by North America.
“This report provides a unique insight into how our customers’ technology habits have changed since 2008. Customers have moved away from Microsoft’s Windows mobile OS and today Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android are far more important players in the enterprise market than they were back then,” said Hannan Carmeli, President at ClickSoftware. “Looking to the future, assuming trends will continue, organisations will increasingly rely on cloud technologies to give them the scalability and flexibility they need to deliver operational efficiency and optimised customer service. This will also be linked to the increase in the number of customers offering CYOD schemes and the growth in the use of mobile devices within the field service industry. Whilst companies are becoming more device agnostic, the support for a variety of mobile operating systems and delivery via the cloud will become a bigger consideration when choosing field service applications and devices for mobile workforces.”
