Although there is currently no pressing need to move from BlackBerry to other mobile platforms, employee pressure to use more “modern and cool” devices, the trend of consumerization and BlackBerry’s recent problems have combined to force scenarios in which a growing number of IT departments are evaluating alternative platforms. This trend causes many enterprises to ask the question “How do I migrate from BlackBerry to an alternative platform?” Well, Gartner for Technical Professionals analyst Michael Disabato has answered that question with his recently published report entitled “BlackBerry Alternatives: A Migration Strategy for the Mobile Enterprise.” The report is excellent. To access the full report, click on the title (above). I’ve provided an excerpt below to whet your appetite. Enjoy!
BlackBerry — formerly Research In Motion (RIM), the corporate name was changed in January 2013 — has fallen behind Apple iOS and Google Android in developing and innovating devices that consumers want to buy. Financial setbacks and network outages have damaged its reputation. As a result, Gartner has received 30 inquiries during 2012 in which clients have expressed concern about BlackBerry’s situation, and those clients have stated that they are considering moving from BlackBerry to other vendors. Gartner believes there is no compelling reason to move off BlackBerry, and if the enterprise wants to stay with BlackBerry, Gartner believes that is an acceptable strategy for the next several years. However, Gartner also believes it is time to migrate from a single OS strategy to a multi-OS and multidevice strategy. Banking on a single device and OS is no longer a sound strategy in light of our long-term projections on platform market share volatility.
Although BlackBerry’s BB10 line may address the “modern and cool” problem, there is no guarantee it will succeed in the critical consumer market. Enterprises should treat moving from BlackBerry or adding additional platforms to their enterprise mobility strategy in much the same way they explore management solutions for bring your own device (BYOD) programs. The risk assessment, deployment issues, provisioning processes and acquisition strategy for the management system are identical. Enterprises should also leverage this opportunity to re-examine mobility policies and risk assessments before making any decisions.
Enterprises desiring to migrate from BlackBerry to an alternative platform should examine their current risk posture and mobility policies prior to selecting a platform and management tool. Gartner recommends that enterprises embark on a BlackBerry replacement strategy by following the guidance in this document: Click here to read more…
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