Apple’s iOS operating system is the most popular mobile platform among corporate workers according to a survey from Check Point Software. The firm polled over 700 IT professionals and found that iOS accounts for 30% of usage, with RIM’s BlackBerry platform just behind at 29%. Check Point Software found that 71% of mobile devices have contributed to increased security incidents. Google’s Android operating system was considered to produce the greatest security risk, however, 72% of polled users claimed careless employees were a greater security threat than hackers. The lack of employee awareness about security policies ranked as having the greatest impact on the security of mobile data. Some 65% of respondents reported that their organizations had devices that were personally owned by employees in addition to company-owned mobile devices accessing corporate networks.Check Point surveyed a total of 768 respondents across the United States, Canada,United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.

Read

Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse said in a note to employees Friday that Sprint will merge the marketing and sales teams of its enterprise and consumer businesses into one body. Hesse said the carrier is restructuring in an effort to better streamline its operations, Reuters reported on Friday. As a result, Sprint is also removing four executives from their roles with the firm. “As the wireless market has evolved, the lines between consumers and businesses have blurred,” Hesse said, according to a note to employees obtained by Reuters. “We believe that we no longer need to support two separate business units, and that it is more logical now to evolve to unified marketing and sales organizations. Because of the enormous investments we’re making this year in Network Vision and in the iPhone, we need to consistently be looking for ways to be more efficient.” Sprint’s chief marketing officer Bill Malloy will run the merged marketing and sales unit. Sprint has decided to remove the president of its consumer services group, Bob Johnson, the president of its integrated solutions group, Danny Bowman, the senior vice president of its corporate development and spectrum, Chris Rogers, and the senior vice president of consumer marketing, John Carney.

Read

Research In Motion is reportedly working toward a major transition that will see the company begin licensing its BlackBerry software to third-party vendors including Samsung and HTC. In a recent research note, Jefferies & Company analyst Peter Misek wrote that his checks confirmed earlier reports that Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie will soon be removed from their roles as co-chairmen. The analyst says current board member Barbara Stymiest is indeed the front-runner to replace the pair, and he calls her one of the top executives in Canada. ”We believe she will initiate a formal strategic review, possibly trim costs in the hardware business, and possibly announce additional partnerships,” Misek wrote. Read on for more.

The analyst sees Stymiest’s appointment as having little near-term impact on the state of RIM’s business, but he believes the firm is already working on a major transition that could be a huge boon for the company, Barron’s reports. Misek thinks RIM has already set in motion a plan that will see its software licensed to other top vendors including Samsung and HTC.

“We think some of this has already been started with RIM likely agreeing to license Blackberry 10 to Samsung, HTC, and possibly others,” the analyst wrote. “This would help create a critical mass for the ecosystem and maintain RIM’s monthly service revenue.” It is unclear exactly how companies like Samsung and HTC would use the software, or what components of RIM’s BlackBerry platform would be licensed.

Misek went on to note that like the transition from Balsillie and Lazaridis to Stymiest as chairperson of the board, the move to license BlackBerry software will have more of an impact in the long term rather than the short term. “It puts more pressure on the hardware business in the short term,” he said in his note. “Longer term, it possibly gets people hooked on the RIM ecosystem and may in fact allow them to sell more BB 10 handsets (if they are able to create compelling handsets).”

The analyst reiterated a Hold rating on RIM stock and a $14.50 price target.

Worldwide telecommunications industry revenue is set to reach $2.1 trillion this year according to market research firm Insight Research Corp. Despite the rocky global economy, industry revenue will grow further at an average annual rate of 5.3% to $2.7 trillion in 2017. The Asian region is seen as a key market and wireless revenue there is expected to grow 64%. Mobile broadband services and the transition from 3G to 4G will also be key growth drivers. “Despite global economic uncertainty, the telecommunications industry is showing strong revenue growth, which is being driven by consumer Internet usage and business mobility solutions. These are enabling new applications,” Insight Research analyst Fran Caulfield said in a statement. “Even amidst so much economic uncertainty, the fact remains that telecommunications is a key factor in economic growth. Telecommunications facilitates socio-economic advancement and is a critical utility for economic development, much like water and energy.” The firm’s full press release follows below.

Worldwide Telecommunications Industry Revenue to Reach $2.7 Trillion by 2017, says Insight Research Corp.

MOUNTAIN LAKES, N.J., Jan. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – The global telecommunications industry continues to expand as spending by consumers and businesses for wireless services fuels industry revenue growth, says a new market analysis report from The Insight Research Corporation. According to the new industry market study, telecommunications services revenue on a worldwide basis will grow from $2.1 trillion in 2012 to $2.7 trillion in 2017 at a combined average growth rate of 5.3 percent.

“The 2012 Telecommunications Industry Review: An Anthology of Market Facts and Forecasts” notes that wireless subscriber growth, particularly in Asia and other emerging markets, will raise wireless revenues by 64 percent from current levels, while wireline revenues show only modest growth. Nearly all of the growth in both sectors is expected to occur in broadband services, with wireless 3G and 4G broadband services projected to grow at a compounded rate of 24 percent over the forecast period and wireline broadband services projected to grow at a 13 percent compounded rate over the same forecast horizon.

“Despite global economic uncertainty, the telecommunications industry is showing strong revenue growth, which is being driven by consumer Internet usage and business mobility solutions. These are enabling new applications,” says Fran Caulfield, Research Director for Insight Research. ”Even amidst so much economic uncertainty, the fact remains that telecommunications is a key factor in economic growth. Telecommunications facilitates socio-economic advancement and is a critical utility for economic development, much like water and energy,” Caulfield concluded.

In addition to regional and sector forecasts, the report provides an assessment of the key drivers of this growth, including industry trends, network infrastructure and access technologies, telecom services, and enterprise telecom markets. An excerpt, table of contents, and ordering information are available online at http://www.insight-corp.com/reports/review12.asp.

Apple has reportedly met with top media executives to discuss the company’s vision of the television market’s future, suggesting that the company is moving full steam ahead on its rumored Siri-powered HDTV. The television is expected to include similar technology to the company’s current Apple TV set top box, which allows users to stream content such as movies, music and photos over a wireless network. Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue has reportedly been in the aforementioned meetings and has pitched the idea of  a television that could be controlled by voice or motion, seemingly similar to Microsoft’s Kinect technology, and Cue has discussed “new ways Apple’s technology could recognize users across phones, tablets and TVs,” The Wall Street Journal said Monday. Steve Jobs was said to have been working on a prototype for several years before his passing in 2011. It remains unclear when such a product might hit the market, although early rumors have suggested it will use a display provided by Sharp and will launch in mid-2012.

Read

Research In Motion this week revealed a limited-time offer that aims to bolster sales of its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to enterprise customers. Between now and December 31st, BlackBerry business customers who purchase two PlayBook tablets from an authorized reseller will get a third PlayBook for free. They will also receive one free premium accessory for every two PlayBook tablets purchased, and they may choose from a black leather sleeve, a charging pod or a 6-foot HDMI cable. While some find that RIM’s PlayBook gets the job done as a recreational tablet, business customers may not share that opinion. BGR exclusively reported on Tuesday that RIM would be delaying the OS 2.0 update that will bring email and other PIM services to the device until next year. RIM confirmed our report later that evening, and also confirmed that standalone BBM capabilities would not be included in the February software release.

Read

Investment in mobile security will increase 44% annually through 2015 according to a recent research report from Canalys. Reportedly, just 4% of smartphones shipped last year were sold with security software pre-installed. Canalys suggests that, by 2015, more than 20% of all smartphones and tablets will run some form of security software and mobile security will be a $3 billion market. The research firm attributes the growth to an increase in pressure from enterprise customers, and it expects the usage of client security products such as antivirus software, VPN encryption and firewalls will grow an average of 54.6% annually to 2015. “Enterprises must adopt a holistic view of mobile security, as there is no single solution that provides complete protection,” research analyst Nushin Hernandez said. “A more robust approach, even compared to that used to protect typical notebooks and desktops, is needed.” Read on for the full press release from Canalys.

Mobile security investment to climb 44% each year through 2015

Canalys today announced its updated worldwide mobile security forecast, estimating an average investment growth of 44.2% per year, reaching $759.8 million by the end of 2011 and turning into a $3 billion market opportunity in 2015.[1]

According to Canalys figures, only 4% of smart phones and pads shipped in 2010 had some form of mobile security downloaded and installed, highlighting a low end-user awareness level and the relative infancy of the market. Mobile security uptake is anticipated to rise rapidly over the next four years, as enterprises conform more strictly to data protection and compliance practices, and consumers begin to understand the impending security threat to their personal data. Canalys forecasts that by 2015 over 20% of smart phones and pads will have mobile security software installed.

Over the next two years, Canalys expects device management to drive adoption of mobile security-related products, with businesses deploying solutions to track, monitor and authorize corporate data access, as consumers bring their devices into the workplace. These solutions will increasingly be tied to enterprise app stores, so that only approved apps can be downloaded and only devices with approved apps installed can access corporate resources.

After that period, the threat landscape is predicted to become extremely volatile, as more hackers target mobile devices as a means to financial gain. Enterprises and consumers alike will increasingly implement mobile security solutions to remove problems that have already infected their devices. This will turn mobile client security into the main driver, with device management a required layer in a more complete solution. Canalys expects mobile client security, which includes anti-virus, firewall, messaging security, web threat security, VPN functionality and encryption, to grow on average by 54.6% each year to 2015.

Until now, North America has led mobile security adoption, primarily due to enterprises adhering to data compliance regulations. Investment in the more mature Western European markets is poised to accelerate though, as enterprise mobility and consumerization trends pick up speed. Developing countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East will experience a sharp rise in mobile security investment from 2013 to 2015, as Android continues to gain headway as the preferred operating system in more price-sensitive markets. Canalys expects a strong parallel to emerge between Android operating system growth and the volume of mobile malware threats, as the potential for more people to download compromised applications rises.

‘We’re encouraging enterprises to build a framework for mobile security that encompasses people, policies, processes and technologies,’ said Canalys Research Analyst Nushin Hernandez. ‘This vision will also create the most opportunity for channel partners, if they can step in and act as the main point of strategic consulting across multivendor product offerings.’

Today, enterprises around the world are struggling to manage a growing mobile workforce, using multiple devices and operating systems and increased data consumption. Mobility multiplies the number of attack vectors open to cyber-criminals and renders corporate data more vulnerable through physical loss of devices. Users, meanwhile, have a tendency to treat smart phones and pads as low risk, without understanding the security implications of using these devices to access corporate data and networks.

‘Enterprises must adopt a holistic view of mobile security, as there is no single solution that provides complete protection,’ said Hernandez. ‘A more robust approach, even compared to that used to protect typical notebooks and desktops, is needed.’

Operators must also ensure that their customers’ data is protected along with their own information, assets, intellectual property and brand. Mobile operators globally are experiencing increasing mobile malware attacks and are spending more time and money on recovery. Canalys anticipates attack sophistication levels to rise with time. Providing service providers with a high-level of security from a network perspective, regardless of device or operating system type, will be a key differentiator from a security vendor perspective.

Canalys expects channel-led deals to work best with vendors that offer value-add services, such as management and installation support. “Vendors will have to equip channel partners with the necessary technical training and tools, especially specialization programs, to enable them to advise on the best mobility security practices, policies and solutions,” said Hernandez. “Channel partners in turn are advised to build up their portfolios and explore the possibility of acquiring or joining forces with resellers that sell device management solutions.”

In a recent interview with CRN, HP chairman Ray Lane outlined situations in which HP may hang on to its PC business. “If we don’t make that decision [to spin off], it’s because of two things: We can’t offer a better proposition to customers and investors,” Lane said. “If we can’t it stays inside HP.” If the company does decide to spin-off its personal systems group, Lane has suggested the company call it the “HP PC Business.” HP has the “largest and most profitable [PC] business in the world,” Lane explained during the InformationWeek 500 conference in California. “I am lobbying, and I don’t have to lobby very hard, to call it the HP PC Business. Call it HP. It will be a sister company,” Lane explained, pointing to HP’s spinoff of Agilent. “Agilent was a better business once spun off, because it was a very different business from what the rest of HP was doing.” Read on for more.

Lane believes the personal systems group will be more successful outside of HP, since it is on a different track than HP’s enterprise business. The company announced the possibility of a PSG spin-off to avoid a leak in the press, Lane explained. “We can’t afford to have hundreds of people working on a project without some kind of leak, and then we’re having to explain it to the press anyway,” he said. “So we thought it best that we go out and explain that we are going to look at this option for the benefit of that business model, the customers and the investors.” Early reports on Tuesday suggested HP had started to lay off as many as 525 employees from its Palm branch.

[Via CNET]

Read

Acer’s former chief executive Gianfranco Lanci may join Samsung to assist with building the Korean firm’s notebook business, DigiTimes reported on Monday. Gianfranco Lanci resigned from Acer in March of this year after the company hit a rough patch. Rumor has it Lanci’s attractive management expertise in European sales channels attracted both Dell and Samsung as suitors. DigiTimes said Lanci signed a one-year non-compete agreement with Acer when he left his executive role, however Samsung will reportedly work to negotiate that agreement if Lanci joins the company. Neither Acer nor Samsung have confirmed Lanci’s potential move.

Read

RIM has six months to prove a real business need for its Co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie to retain their roles as Co-Chairmen of the Board, otherwise Northwest & Ethical Investments LP will take action. “We wanted to give them a chance to prove that there is an actual business necessity,” Jennifer Coulson, manager of corporate engagement at Northwest & Ethical, told Bloomberg at Tuesday’s RIM shareholder meeting. NEI threatened last month to file a motion to have RIM’s Co-CEOs removed from their roles has Board heads, but the the firm agreed not to proceed with its motion when RIM said it would assemble a committee of independent directors to investigate the matter and make recommendations. Proxy advisor Glass Lewis & Co. would later accuse RIM of using stall tactics to delay the decision, but NEI appears content with the actions RIM is taking, so says its decision to give RIM six months to plead its case. Thus far, RIM’s only real argument in favor of allowing Lazaridis and Balsillie to keep their joint roles has been that their Chairmen titles help the pair generate business overseas. Shares of RIM stock have declined in value by nearly 60% over the past 12 months.

Read

Samsung’s profits fell 26% during the second quarter due to poor sales in its LCD display division, according to a report the company released today. The firm’s operating profits were $3.5 billion for the quarter, down from $4.7 billion from the same period last year. According to a survey from Bloomberg that included six analysts, the Korean company’s display arm is expected to post an operating loss of 3.5 billion won ($69 million), down from an 880 billion won ($827.2 million) profit during the second quarter of 2010. Earlier this week, the head of Samsung’s combined LCD and semiconductor business, Kwon Oh-hyun, confirmed that Samsung’s component sales would suffer during the second quarter. That business could suffer more as Samsung continues to fight multiple lawsuits with its largest LCD buyer, Apple, and rumors have suggested the iPhone builder could drop Samsung as a supplier. “Only the phone business is holding up,” Kim Sung In, an analyst with Kiwoom Securities Co. told Bloomberg. “Everything else is looking bad. There’s no bright picture for the company looking ahead.”

Read

Samsung will combine both its flat-panel display and semiconductor businesses into one unit, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. Samsung’s display business wasn’t profitable during the first quarter and it’s on track for the same lackluster performance during the second quarter. Combined, however, the display and semiconductor businesses made up 70% of Samsung’s operating profits and 44% of the South Korean company’s revenue, The Wall Street Journal said. In other words, the move looks like an attempt to shroud the poor display performance inside the company’s more successful semiconductor unit. The display unit could see more trouble ahead as well, since Samsung is currently locked in a number of legal battles with Apple, the largest buyer of Samsung’s LCD products. Kwon Oh-hyun, Samsung’s semiconductor president, will oversee the new joint businesses.

“We no longer anticipate Research in Motion recovering to participate in the mainstream of smartphone industry growth.” Those are the words of Matthew Robison, an analyst with Wunderlich Securities, which recently downgraded RIM’s stock. Robison argues that RIM is going to lose the consumer interest that it has built over the last few years. “Our long-term forecast anticipates a role supplying business-oriented devices, both mid-range and high end, as well as cloud-based services via the BlackBerry Network.,” Robison said. “We expect the consumer mix gained over the past two years to churn off, and that earnings will decline after 2013 and eventually grow again on demand that is largely associated with business users.” Robison said the PlayBook is selling well relative to other tablets, “other than the iPad,” but that “there’s little indication that the PlayBook has registered with consumers outside the loyal BlackBerry installed base.” We’ve leaked and had hands-on time with most of RIM’s 2011 lineup, and while there’s a definite spec boost across the board, the phones lack the appealing features of more robust iOS and Android devices. Worse yet, the company only revealed one new device during its annual BlackBerry World 2011 conference, and even that offered very little in the way of innovation that might attract the consumer market.

Read

Paul Bryan, Microsoft’s senior director of business experiences product management for Windows Phone, has written a blog post that details Windows Phone Mango’s business productivity features. The update, which will be discussed in deeper detail during a press conference in New York City on May 24th, will include pinnable email folders for quick access from the homescreen, conversation view in email, server search, and a new Lync application for business chat users. Bryan also said there will be added capabilities for IT departments, including complex password support, information rights management support, and the ability to access hidden corporate Wi-Fi networks. “This week, we expect to exceed 16,000 apps available in the Windows Phone Marketplace,” Bryan added. We’ll be reporting live from Microsoft’s press conference on the 24th.

Read

Speaking of smear campaigns, a new Sprint promotion specifically targets T-Mobile CL customers that may be uneasy about the proposed merger, according to a new report. According to a purported internal document, Sprint is trying to lure customers away by offering to pay their T-Mobile early termination fees up to $175 per line if they switch to Sprint. ”Do you have the feeling the AT&T/T-Mobile won’t end with a ‘Happily Ever After?’,” the document asks Sprint distribution partners. “Well, we’ve got a deal specifically for those T-Mobile CL customers having similar concerns.” To sweeten the deal and alleviate any worries for potential T-Mobile defectors, Sprint will also waive subscribers’ ETF fees if the AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile is not approved and they choose to switch back to T-Mobile as a result. Sprint has been openly and vocally opposed to the merger since AT&T first announced its intentions to acquire T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion this past March. The carrier’s new ETF credit promotion reportedly begins today and runs through July 23rd.

Read