Facebook-led social media are redefining communication, Bing is gaining ground in search, brand dollars are shifting to online, the video boom, and rise of the smartphone and tablet markets are among the trends examined in digital measurement firm comScore’s new 2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus report.
“2012 promises to be an exciting year for the digital media industry as the explosion of available content and proliferation of web-enabled devices drive the evolution of the digital consumer, creating new opportunities and challenges for the entire digital ecosystem,” said Linda Abraham, comScore CMO and EVP of Global Product Development.
“In order to be successful in this new paradigm, digital marketers must understand the key trends shaping the current marketplace and what that means for the future of their businesses.”
Key insights from the 2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus include:
Facebook-Led Social Media Market is Redefining Communication in the Digital and Physical Worlds
Social Networking accounted for 16.6 percent of all online minutes at the end of 2011 and is on track to surpass Portals as the most engaging online activity in 2012. Facebook continues to lead as the driving force behind this shift in consumer behavior, accounting for the largest share of online minutes across the entire web in 2011.
Bing Gains Ground in Search
Although Google maintains a strong lead in the U.S. search market, one of the most notable stories in search in 2011 was Bing’s positive growth trajectory. Bing closed out the year by surpassing Yahoo! for the #2 position among core search engines for the first time in its history, bolstered in part by its social search partnership with Facebook implemented in early 2011.
Online Video Boom Signals Sea Change in Video Ecosystem
Online video viewing witnessed impressive gains across a variety of measures in 2011, signaling a behavioral shift in how Americans are consuming video content. More than 100 million Americans watched online video content on an average day to close out 2011, representing a 43-percent increase versus year ago.
Digital Advertising Enters Era of Increased Accountability as Brand Dollars Continue to Shift Online
A staggering 4.8 trillion display ad impressions were delivered across the U.S. web in 2011 as brand advertisers continued to shift dollars to the digital medium. This shift in ad dollars has magnified the need for greater transparency and accountability in ad delivery across the digital advertising ecosystem.
Smartphone and Tablets Fuel the Rise of the Digital Omnivore
The rise of smartphones and tablets has drastically altered consumers’ digital media consumption. In 2011, the majority of all mobile phone owners consumed mobile media on their device, marking an important milestone in the evolution of mobile from primarily a communication device to also a content consumption tool. At the end of the year, more than 8 percent of all digital traffic was consumed beyond the ‘classic web’ via devices such as smartphones and tablets.
E-Commerce is Back and Better Than Ever
Despite the backdrop of continued economic uncertainty, 2011 was a strong year for retail e-commerce. Throughout the year, growth rates versus the prior year remained in double-digits to significantly outpace growth at brick-and-mortar retail. Total U.S. retail and travel-related e-commerce reached $256 billion in 2011, up 12 percent from 2010.
Mobile devices are playing a critical role in the entertainment research and planning process for a majority of smartphone and iPad users, according to a new study by Greystripe, the world’s largest brand-focused mobile ad network and a division of ValueClick, Inc. (Nasdaq:VCLK).
The study, which Greystripe conducted on its network, revealed that 53 percent of smartphone users and 27 percent of iPad users search for movie listings, times and locations on their devices.
Good news for film studios
This is good news for film studios, which can now target movie marketing directly at consumers on the go, looking for films to watch.“Not only are mobile users going to the movies frequently, they are using their mobile devices at every step of the process, from learning about new movies and watching trailers to scouting times and locations, finding the theatre and even completing the process with a purchase.”
The study also finds that participants are using their smartphones and iPads to discover new movies, interact with movie ads, watch trailers, and purchase tickets and DVDs.
Greystripe collected data from 546 users on its network of iPhone, iPod Touch, Android and iPad devices during a one-month-long period from November 1, 2011 to November 30, 2011 to better understand how mobile users are interacting with their smart-devices to research, discover, plan and pay for entertainment.
The study found iPad and touch smartphone users are a key movie-watching demographic, with 39 percent and 41 percent, respectively, watching movies over four times a year.
According to the study, the most common entertainment-related mobile activities for iPad and smartphone users are viewing movie times, locating theaters and watching mobile trailers. These actions are all performed most commonly using a native app, not on the mobile web.
Greystripe also found that mobile videos are capturing the attention of participants with approximately half of smartphone and iPad users, 56 percent and 45 percent respectively, saying they are most intrigued by video ads.
In addition, a majority of smartphone and iPad users, 69 percent and 59 percent respectively, said they watch movie trailers on their mobile device.
The study also uncovered the critical role advertising plays in entertainment-based decisions made by mobile users, with advertising emerging as the top format for new movie discovery and decision-making:
65 percent of smartphone users and 67 percent of iPad users find out about new movies from advertising
52 percent of smartphone users and 44 percent of iPad users decide which movies to see based on movie advertisements
Of the users who base their movie decisions on advertisements, 67 percent of smartphone users and 58 percent of iPad users have interacted with entertainment ads on their respective mobile devices
“Mobile is an essential platform for any movie advertiser looking to grab the attention and interest of frequent moviegoers,” said Jim Zarley, CEO of ValueClick. “Not only are mobile users going to the movies frequently, they are using their mobile devices at every step of the process, from learning about new movies and watching trailers to scouting times and locations, finding the theatre and even completing the process with a purchase.”
Some mobile users are going a step further and utilizing their smartphones and iPads to make purchases, with 15 percent of smartphone users and 13 percent of iPad users purchasing movie tickets on their mobile device. Furthermore, 10 percent of smartphone users and 13 percent of iPad users purchase DVDs on their mobile device.
More than half of Federal employees use at least one mobile device at work, CDW-G found, and many are using personal devices to accomplish work-related tasks. Nearly all Federal employees who use a mobile device for work believe the device makes them more productive, and the majority say increased mobility will improve citizen service.“Mobility is the ‘new normal’ for Federal employees”
The report, based on a survey of 414 Federal employees and IT staff, examines current trends in mobility, how agency IT professionals are managing mobile devices, and the steps they are taking to secure Federal data.
Mobility is no longer just a nice-to-have capability, CDW-G found: Nearly all 203 Federal IT professionals (99 percent) said they have deployed mobile devices to their agency workforce. What’s more, 62 percent of those IT professionals said their agencies allow employees to use personal devices for work.
“Mobility is the ‘new normal’ for Federal employees,” said Bob Kirby, vice president of federal government for CDW-G. “Employees increasingly expect to be able to work anywhere and at any time. Agencies responded first by deploying mobile devices, and now they are enabling use of personal devices. And the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend is likely to continue, following the Obama administration’s November 2011 executive order that asked agencies to limit the number of IT devices they issue to employees, including mobile devices, in order to reduce costs.”
Agencies are providing a good security baseline for mobile device use, with the majority establishing mobile data security policies (85 percent) and requiring data security training for mobile device users (84 percent). However, CDW-G found that there is room for agencies to improve security measures in order to protect sensitive data. For example, while 82 percent of IT professionals said their agency deployed encryption for mobile devices, far fewer said their agency protects mobile devices with multi-factor authentication (54 percent), remote lock and wipe (45 percent), and data loss prevention software (39 percent).
“Federal employees – just like those in other industries – access a wide variety of data in the course of their jobs, from financial information to employee and taxpayer records to email and social networking accounts,” Kirby said. “Employees understand the need to keep private information just that – private. But as cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, they need a full suite of security tools to help them.”
Mobile device management (MDM) – over-the-air distribution of applications, data and configuration settings for all types of mobile devices – can help agencies deploy and manage security tools across the mobile workforce, while reducing IT management costs. While 71 percent of Federal IT professionals say they include MDM in their security efforts, CDW-G found that most are not deploying a full suite of security tools to agency and personal devices via MDM, revealing an opportunity to improve agencies’ security posture.
CDW-G recommends that agencies:
Evaluate and/or establish a BYOD policy
Assess their MDM needs
Audit their MDM tools to ensure they support the agency’s security goals
Incorporate the personal devices employees use for work into the agency’s MDM strategy
The CDW-G Federal Mobility Report surveyed 203 Federal IT staff and 211 Federal employees. The margin of error for the total sample is ± 4.8 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.
As sweethearts make plans for their sweeties this Valentine’s Day, they would be wise to think about buying electronics instead of traditional gifts for the women in their lives. According to a new study from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Women in CE, electronics are a desired purchase among both sexes.
“Forget pink. Women don’t want to be catered to with ultra-feminine looking products; they simply prefer lightweight devices that can fit smaller hands and smaller body frames”
The new study found that women’s interest in technology has increased in the years since CEA’s 2007 The Truth About Women and Consumer Electronics study, with eight in 10 women now expressing an interest in CE products and nearly half of those (41 percent) saying they were “very interested” in CE. This is an increase of 10 percentage points over the previous study.
Men continue to outspend women on overall CE purchases, but the gap between genders is shrinking. On average, men spent $728 on CE purchases in the past 12 months, while women spent $667 during that same time period, a difference of $61.
In the 2007 study, the spending gap between men and women was closer to $200. Women also exert a significant amount of influence in most CE purchases. Six in 10 (61 percent) women initiate or are involved in the process in which a CE product is actually purchased.
Women, however, are far less likely to claim ownership of most CE products. The study shows that women are more likely to consider CE products as “household” products, meaning they consider ownership of the device, such as TVs and DVD players, to be shared with a spouse, partner, roommate or child.
However, when it comes to newer and mobile technologies, such as e-readers, notebook computers and smartphones, women were more likely than men to claim sole ownership.
“This Valentine’s Day, the way to a women’s heart just might be through electronics,” said Jessica Boothe, manager of strategic research, CEA, who oversaw this study. “Women want technology more than ever and they view electronics as very personal devices that can be toted around and customized with private information.”
When shopping for their next CE device, men and women both cite the same purchase factor as most important: price. Ease of use, warranty and multiple functionality are the next most important purchasing factors among both sexes.
Also important to women is product size and weight, something that generally is less of a concern among men. Color ranks near the bottom as a factor among women when buying electronics.
“Forget pink. Women don’t want to be catered to with ultra-feminine looking products; they simply prefer lightweight devices that can fit smaller hands and smaller body frames,” said Boothe. “Women play many roles, like mother, spouse and career women, and CE products that can perform many functions are a necessity.”
The Women and CE study also concluded that women are more likely than men to find that electronics can simplify their life. More than three out of four women (77 percent) say “CE makes life easier,” compared with 69 percent among men. Eighty-four percent (84 percent) of women also agreed that “CE makes it easier to keep in touch,” compared with 78 percent for men.
In the ten years Ian Jones, founder of mobile app company meet.com, marketed online dating sites from Friendfinder to Match.com, he tried most of them out – without success.
“I didn’t have one successful meeting,” Jones says.
His complaints about the online dating sites echo those of many others – he would discover that the photos the women he contacted had posted were a decade old. Or they sounded great online but didn’t come across so well in subsequent phone conversations.
So, in 2010, Jones decided to do something about that and created meet.com, a mobile app set to launch in March that already has 700,000 pre-joins acquired through affiliates and marketing.
Presenting at SEVC
The company, which has about 20 employees and currently has a single angel investor, will present its business plan at the upcoming Southeast Venture Conference in Tysons Corner, VA, Feb. 29-March 1. The 6h annual SEVC highlights both early and later stage investment opportunities from: Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington DC.
What makes it different?
Jones tells us that one of the biggest surprises in setting up his startup firm was the “overwhelming support for the meet.com brand and the growth in the smartphone and mobile app markets.”
The brand name is one of the things that differentiates meet.com from its competitors, says Jones. “It has a much higher response rate than ‘Scout,’ or ‘Blender,’ or ‘Grinder,’ based on our research, he notes.
Another differentiating feature is the way the app will work with Facebook. It allows users to connect via Facebook and even communicate with Facebook friends for free after downloading and installing it.
Jones assures us that the app will have strong privacy and security settings and users will be in control of who they connect with.
Once users communicate with people outside their network, however, a $4.99 a month charge begins via the iTunes or Android market stores.
Jones says the app is initially going to work with the iPhone and Android operating systems with Blackberry coming along a bit later.
There are other mobile apps out there that connect people on the go, but Jones says “Our matching technology is superior, our look and feel is superior, and our privacy settings are superior.”
Jones says he thinks we’ll all be experience a “mobile bubble” that will be much more significant that the dot com boom was in the next few years.
Mobile advantages
Mobile has advantages. People are more willing to pay for mobile apps than they ever seemed to be for online services, for instance. “There is much more acceptance from consumers,” Jones says. “It’s much more common for people to push a button and buy a 99 cent or $5.00 app than it is for them to pull out a credit card and charge $19.95.”
Part of the reason for the increased acceptance on the part of consumers is that it’s more secure than online purchases, he suggests.
“People have their credit cards on file with the iTunes store or Android and there are no charge back issues.”
In terms of dating itself, the immediacy of the way the meet.com app works when people are actually on the go and out and about is a major difference from the stale photos and descriptions on online services.
The U.S. dating services market is a now a $2.1 billion business, with online dating services soaring in popularity since 2001 and representing 53% of the market’s value, according to a recent report from Market Research. But, dating website revenues are expected to grow only 7.5% this year as the U.S. market becomes saturated with 1,500+ sites and free dating sites and competition from popular social networking sites attracts cost-conscious singles, the report says.
In the not too distant future he thinks the prices on smartphones will fall even further, greatly reducing or eliminating any price barriers to consumer adoption.
Meet.com is seeking under $500,000 in an angel round and will present the details of its business plan to investors representing literally billions in capital at the SEVC.
Here’s the company’s video description of its product:
Contractors and trade professionals are relying on smartphones and other mobile technology like laptops and tablets to assist in purchase decision-making, according to a national research study conducted by Eric Mower + Associates Group B2B.
The study found that 50 percent of contractors use a smartphone, 49 percent use a laptop with mobile web access, and 21 percent use an iPad or other tablet for their jobs, suggesting more business purchase research and decisions are being conducted online from the jobsite rather than behind a desk.
Tool and building materials brands are most important (65 percent) to contractors when they are on the job and need to replace or replenish a tool.
Of those with a smartphone, more than half (53 percent) use it in the purchase decision-making process to do things like research brands and products, compare prices and scan product codes.
Most use smartphones
The majority of contractors said they use smartphones (56 percent) to take photos of work projects to refer to when shopping for building materials and tools.
“With so many professional contractors accessing the web from the jobsite, brands need to be sure their websites are mobile-, video- and app-ready,” said John O’Hara, partner and leader of EMA’s Contractor Insight specialty. “Brands need to think beyond search—even if prospective customers find a manufacturer’s website, will they be able to see it on their phones or watch videos to see how the products work?”
The survey found that 91 percent of contractors use websites to assist in purchase decision-making. The majority (88 percent) said manufacturer websites are the best sources for brand and product information; 70 percent said that product demonstration videos are important.
“One of the top reasons contractors said they would try a new brand is innovation,” said O’Hara.
“But innovation shouldn’t stop at product; brands need to be innovative online so contractors can find their products from a mobile device. The construction industry has already adopted smartphones and tablets at higher-than-average rates and brands need to address their new shopping habits.”
50 percent using mobile devices
The study’s results confirm that contractors are nearly on par with other B2B decision-makers in their use of smartphones.
A December 2010 report by Channel Marketing Group and Allen Ray Associates reveals that about 50 percent of contractors they surveyed are using mobile devices to purchase products, conduct day-to-day business and take photos. According to a 2011 Emarketer report, 59 percent of U.S. B2B purchasing decision-makers use a smartphone.
The EMA study was administered online to 500 general contractors, electricians, plumbers and HVAC specialists. More than 90 percent of respondents have at least six years’ professional experience.
Success with mobile apps begins with targeting the right audience, according to a new IDC study.
IDC’sConsumerScape 360° research program has identified six distinct consumer market segments: Tech Evangelists, Impulse Buyers, Experimental Adopters, Pragmatic Purchasers, Green Buyers, and Disengaged Functionalists.
One market segment in particular, Tech Evangelists, was found to be particularly influential when it comes to mobile apps.
Tech evangelists drive adoption
“Tech evangelists not only own the most devices and utilize the most advanced functions, features, and apps, they are also the group that drives adoption of device ownership and usage by other market segments”
“Tech evangelists not only own the most devices and utilize the most advanced functions, features, and apps, they are also the group that drives adoption of device ownership and usage by other market segments,” said Michael DeHart, director of IDC’s Global ConsumerScape 360° program.
Tech Evangelists are not only deeply involved in app usage, but also the most educated consumers about apps and technology in general, leading others to seek out their advice. Their spending on technology and apps is expected to increase at least 10% in 2012 compared to 2011, even in the currently impaired economy.
“In terms of formulating a strategy for the prioritization of app development and marketing, focusing on Tech Evangelists’ download and usage of apps will deliver the largest ROI by far in terms of segment-based app development and marketing,” added DeHart.
IDC’s ConsumerScape 360° research reveals other key insights into mobile apps:
Free apps comprise 85% of the total app market.
The most popular free apps are gaming, music, social networking, weather, news, entertainment and navigation.
In the paid apps market, the most popular categories are music, games, navigation, entertainment, and books — a category that does not perform well in the free app space.
App usage varies by country as well as by market segment. Generally speaking, categories of apps preferred are relatively stable across market segments, but the rates of download and usage vary dramatically.
South Korean consumers, are most likely of all smartphone users worldwide to download both free and paid apps. Swedish and American consumers are also highly app-engaged smartphone users. (See related figure at http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS23279312.)
During the 2011 holiday season and throughout 2011, tablet visitors spent more per purchase than visitors using smartphones or traditional desktops and laptops, according to inaugural Adobe® Digital Marketing Insights report, designed to provide marketing, e-commerce, and retail executives with critical intelligence about digital marketing.
The results suggesting that tablet visitors were the most valuable online customers in 2011.“This study shows the importance of optimizing your 2012 e-tail strategy for tablet visitors to avoid the risk of underserving a highly-profitable, fast-growing customer segment.”
Key Report Findings Included
Tablet visitors spent 54 percent more than smartphone visitors and 21 percent more per purchase than desktop/laptop visitors.
Tablet visitors were nearly three times more likely to buy products and services online than smartphone visitors and were nearly as likely to purchase as desktop/laptop visitors.
“Adobe has long championed the need for retailers to optimize their sites for mobile visitors, and the results of this study indicate that tablet devices have become an absolutely critical new sales channel that marketers must address head-on,” said Brad Rencher, senior vice president and general manager, Adobe Digital Marketing Business.
“This study shows the importance of optimizing your 2012 e-tail strategy for tablet visitors to avoid the risk of underserving a highly-profitable, fast-growing customer segment.”
Optimizing websites for mobile devices, such as smartphones, is now becoming common practice. However, with the emergence of the iPad and Android tablets, companies now face additional mobile optimization requirements in order to provide enticing online shopping experiences.
If retailers treat mobile and tablet optimization strategies alike, they may fail to leverage the power of tablet visitors, which the study suggests, convert nearly three times more frequently than smartphone visitors.
Why Tablet Visitors Spend More
The Adobe study suggests that demographics of tablet visitors, as well as the flexibility of the overall tablet user experience, contribute to higher tablet visitor profitability. Tablet visitors are typically males between the ages of 18-34 years old and tend to be more affluent than other online shoppers. Higher income levels among tablet owners is just one part of the story. Tablet users also have higher usage rates over the weekend, when there is more time to shop online.
Download the full Adobe Digital Marketing Insights report here or at CMO.com.
Do you find yourself lusting for that new iPad tablet, Kindle Fire or spiffy smartphone a co-worker is using? If so, you’re not alone. Seventy three percent identified smartphones, tablets, e-readers and HDTVs as their favorites and 30 percent reported being “very envious” of the devices their colleagues brought into the workplace, according to Captivate Network.
The Captivate Office Pulse also identified the most envious people in the workplace. The research found that 60 percent of those displaying tech envy are working moms who are more than 30 years old with annual household incomes of less than$125,000.
“With the prevalence of personal technology around the office, and the high frequency that it’s shared – 40 percent reported regularly seeing co-workers using tech devices – it’s not surprising that tech envy occurs,” said Scott Marden, research director at Captivate Network. “Overall, we found that professionals want what they don’t have – whether it’s an upgrade to an existing device or the next new technology.”
Thirty percent of respondents reported they are very envious of the technology their colleagues have and they do not. However, rather than wishing people would be quiet about their new acquisitions, thirty five percent of people would like to hear and see more. The following table illustrates the attitudes of white-collar workers toward the devices they want and their colleagues have:
Average number of
co-workers seen
with each device
Very Envious
Want to Hear More
Smart Phone
3.6
24%
29%
Tablet
2.2
39%
39%
E-reader
2.3
36%
59%
HDTV
1.4
11%
11%
Things are similar when it comes to technology owned by friends/family, with 26 percent responding they are envious of others’ devices and 39 percent saying they would like to see and hear more. The following table illustrates the attitudes of white-collar workers toward the devices they want and their friends/family have:
Average number of
friends/family seen
with each device
Very Envious
Want to Hear More
Smart Phone
3.2
22%
33%
Tablet
1.9
34%
43%
E-reader
1.8
33%
52%
HDTV
2.2
13%
26%
As illustrated above, people are exposed to more technology in the workplace –and reported higher levels – than with friends/family. Regardless of location, many people want to learn more about the devices they see others using.
Have and Want
“With CES wrapped up and a host of new tech toys in people’s hands following the holidays, we also thought it was a good time to look into people’s general attitudes toward consumer technology,” said Marden. “Not only do the results of this Office Pulse provide a glimpse into what devices people have and love, but it also lets us know what they wish they had.”
When asked to name their favorite technology, 73 percent of respondents named the following four devices: smartphones (43 percent), tablets (15 percent), e-readers (8 percent) and HDTVs (7 percent).
While smartphones are the most popular devices among all groups, there were differences in device preference based on income, age and gender. Affluents, for example, are most fond of tablets, while women like e-readers far more than men. Here is the breakdown of respondents’ favorite technologies:
Device
<$100k
>$100k
18-44
>45
Women
Men
Smartphone
43%
45%
48%
33%
43%
45%
Tablet
12%
21%
14%
16%
15%
15%
E-reader
7%
7%
7%
10%
10%
4%
HDTV
9%
4%
4%
13%
6%
9%
When it comes to the devices people want, 54 percent identified the following: smartphones (32 percent), tablets (12 percent), e-readers (6 percent) and HDTVs (4 percent). Here is the breakdown of people’s desired devices by income, age and gender:
Device
<$100k
>$100k
18-44
>45
Women
Men
Smartphone
30%
31%
32%
31%
32%
31%
Tablet
11%
16%
11%
13%
11%
13%
E-reader
7%
3%
6%
4%
7%
5%
HDTV
4%
4%
4%
4%
3%
6%
Usage and Favorite Brands
While there are many areas of similarity in terms of the devices people have and those they want, there are differences in where people use their devices.
Smartphone
Tablet
E-reader
AT HOME (Aggregate)
100%
100%
100%
Family room
94%
87%
81%
Bedroom
89%
88%
85%
Kitchen/Dining room
87%
68%
36%
Bathroom
65%
42%
30%
Laundry
30%
7%
13%
AT OFFICE (Aggregate)
96%
63%
57%
At my desk
92%
52%
47%
During lunch with co-workers
61%
17%
19%
Office gathering/party
47%
1%
2%
In the restroom
44%
7%
6%
During meetings
34%
19%
2%
In the kitchen/pantry
36%
7%
6%
Lunch meetings
29%
11%
2%
At my boss or co-worker’s desk
29%
10%
6%
ON MY COMMUTE
84%
48%
55%
Although there are a growing number of tablet and smartphone brands to choose from, Apple products were the most desired. For HDTVs and e-readers, Samsung and Kindle were named most, respectively, followed by Sony (for TVs) and Nook (for e-readers).
Top Brand Desired
Total Adults
Tablet
iPad
80%
Smartphone
iPhone
73%
E-reader
Kindle
60%
HDTV
Samsung
25%
“Our Office Pulse studies continue to demonstrate the influence that co-workers have on each other,” continued Marden. “People love their technology, they carry devices with them, they talk about and share them, want to learn more about them – and this interest, in many cases, induces a new purchase.”
The number of personal mobile devices connecting to the corporate network has more than doubled in the past two years — with nearly half of devices storing sensitive data.
The report, The Impact of Mobile Devices on Information Security, shows 71 percent of businesses believe mobile devices have caused an increase in security incidents, citing significant concerns about the loss and privacy of sensitive information stored on employee devices, including corporate email (79%), customer data (47%) and network login credentials (38%).
Smartphones and tablet PCs continue to proliferate in corporate environments, presenting significant business benefits such as increased work efficiency and easy access to resources. While businesses are steadily accepting this trend, IT administrators struggle with securing the abundance of devices and operating systems, while also protecting their organization against data loss and the rise in mobile threats.
“The consumerization of IT is among the top concerns for CIOs this coming year and we wanted to assess from IT administrators the current security challenges they face when it comes to mobile computing,” said Juliette Sultan, head of global marketing at Check Point Software Technologies.
“The explosion of mobile devices connecting to the corporate network often creates greater opportunities for data loss and increased security management complexity. We anticipate this trend will continue to rise in 2012, encouraging enterprises to enforce the proper remote access policies to minimize the frequency, risk and costs associated with securing the mobile enterprise.”
Key Findings from the Report:
Rise in Mobile Devices Connecting to the Corporate Network – Approximately 94 percent of businesses surveyed have an increased number of personal mobile devices connecting to the corporate network, with 78% of respondents seeing the number of devices more than double in the last two years.
Most Common Mobile Devices and their Security Risks – Apple (30%) and BlackBerry (29%) were the most common types of mobile devices connecting to corporate networks, followed by Android (21%). Nearly half of respondents (43%) also believe Android devices pose a larger security risk to the mobile enterprise.
Employee Behavior Impacts Security of Mobile Data – The majority of businesses believe the lack of security awareness among employees as the greatest factor impacting mobile data — followed by mobile web browsing (61%), insecure Wi-Fi connectivity (59%), lost or stolen devices (58%) and malicious mobile application downloads (57%).
Correlation between Rise in Mobile Devices and Security Incidents – Approximately 71% of businesses believe smartphones and tablet PCs have contributed to an increase in the number of security events in their organizations within the past two years.
Many Mobile Devices Store Sensitive Customer and Business Data – Personal and corporate owned devices often store and access a variety of sensitive information including email (79%), customer data (47%) and login credentials (38%) for internal databases or business applications.
Facebook-led social media are redefining communication, Bing is gaining ground in search, brand dollars are shifting to online, the video boom, and rise of the smartphone and tablet markets are among the trends examined in digital measurement firm comScore’s new 2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus report.
Although Google maintains a strong lead in the U.S. search market, one of the most notable stories in search in 2011 was Bing’s positive growth trajectory. Bing closed out the year by surpassing Yahoo! for the #2 position among core search engines for the first time in its history, bolstered in part by its social search partnership with Facebook implemented in early 2011.
Online video viewing witnessed impressive gains across a variety of measures in 2011, signaling a behavioral shift in how Americans are consuming video content. More than 100 million Americans watched online video content on an average day to close out 2011, representing a 43-percent increase versus year ago.
The rise of smartphones and tablets has drastically altered consumers’ digital media consumption. In 2011, the majority of all mobile phone owners consumed mobile media on their device, marking an important milestone in the evolution of mobile from primarily a communication device to also a content consumption tool. At the end of the year, more than 8 percent of all digital traffic was consumed beyond the ‘classic web’ via devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Mobile devices are playing a critical role in the entertainment research and planning process for a majority of smartphone and iPad users, according to a 
More than half of Federal employees use at least one mobile device at work, CDW-G found, and many are using personal devices to accomplish work-related tasks. Nearly all Federal employees who use a mobile device for work believe the device makes them more productive, and the majority say increased mobility will improve citizen service.“Mobility is the ‘new normal’ for Federal employees”
As sweethearts make plans for their sweeties this Valentine’s Day, they would be wise to think about buying electronics instead of traditional gifts for the women in their lives. According to a new study from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Women in CE, electronics are a desired purchase among both sexes.
Do you find yourself lusting for that new iPad tablet, Kindle Fire or spiffy smartphone a co-worker is using? If so, you’re not alone. Seventy three percent identified smartphones, tablets, e-readers and HDTVs as their favorites and 30 percent reported being “very envious” of the devices their colleagues brought into the workplace, according to Captivate Network.
Thirty percent of respondents reported they are very envious of the technology their colleagues have and they do not. However, rather than wishing people would be quiet about their new acquisitions, thirty five percent of people would like to hear and see more. The following table illustrates the attitudes of white-collar workers toward the devices they want and their colleagues have:
When asked to name their favorite technology, 73 percent of respondents named the following four devices: smartphones (43 percent), tablets (15 percent), e-readers (8 percent) and HDTVs (7 percent).
The number of personal mobile devices connecting to the corporate network has more than doubled in the past two years — with nearly half of devices storing sensitive data.
