Samsung Research Reveals Businesses Experienced Increased Security Threats

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. reveals the results of a multi-industry research study, which identifies the main technology challenges UK businesses have faced over the last year – and the key solution they’re turning to – as the nation prepares for a future of hybrid work, and over a quarter (29%) respondents experienced increased security threats, and three in ten (30%) businesses admitting to not having enough mobile devices to offer to their remote workers. Following a year of unprecedented change, it’s predicted a quarter of Brits will work from home full-time by 2025, compared to just 5% in 2019. With mobile technology becoming essential for remote productivity, organisations now face a wave of challenges to deploying a mobility strategy that is controlled, effective and secure. The study run by Samsung Enterprise Edition – which surveyed decision-makers and employees in the Finance and Professional Services sectors – aimed to identify where businesses experienced the most troubling tech challenges when forced into the sudden reality of remote working. Consequently, seven out of ten employees admit to having used their personal device for work purposes – either exclusively or alongside a work device – with 18% noting that they haven’t felt confident in the security of their device for the last 12 months. With UK businesses now incurring more frequent security threats than ever before, decision-makers now face a race against time to ensure their operations are secured for a hybrid working model. According to the study, Enterprise Management Mobility (EMM) – technology and software that enables businesses to securely manage employee use of mobile devices and applications – has become an increasingly popular solution to addressing these issues, as more organisations look to simplify and secure their mobility strategy. Samsung Enterprise Edition is one example of an EMM solution, combining a complete suite of mobile technology and services with Knox security from the chip-up, enabling businesses to integrate end-to-end security and remote configuration into their fleet of devices. Six in ten (60%) organisations either started or expanded their use of EMM within the last year, with nine in ten adopters planning to invest even more in 2021. With every adopter (100%) experiencing benefits, the most positively impacted areas we revealed as:

• Tightened security: Over half of adopters (55%) selected enhanced security as a key benefit. Additionally, nine in ten of those using the solution feel confident in the security of their company’s devices – significantly higher than those who don’t (78%).
• Performance boost: Over a third of respondents reported improved levels of collaboration (34%), productivity (35%), and quality of work (36%) as direct results from deploying the solution. With a third of respondents admitting to suffering employee productivity issues this year, these are invaluable benefits.
• Device control: Four in ten decision-makers said it simplifies the management of individual devices, notably with software updates (46%), and over a third (34%) enjoy easier configuration and management of large mobile fleets. With 87% of respondents saying that device longevity is crucial for their operations, EMM is a key enabler of a longer lifespan.

Following the accelerated transition to remote working in 2020, and the increased mobility challenges that came with it, the survey found that 40% of businesses who have not previously considered EMM solutions, now plan to invest throughout 2021. Joe Walsh, director of B2B at Samsung UK & Ireland, commented: “The last year has shown us that we can never be too prepared when it comes to the steps we can take to secure our business. Mobile phones have become more critical than ever for productivity, but the acceleration of remote and hybrid working models has made the management and protection of large mobility fleets even more challenging – particularly for those who have not previously considered it. It is encouraging to see that Enterprise solutions are becoming a popular and effective way for businesses to boost security, and we continue to listen to our customers to develop integrated solutions that address their day-to-day challenges. With Samsung Galaxy Enterprise Edition, we provide organisations with more choice, more control, and more protection when managing their mobile fleets, so they can do less work and more business.” The survey also asked decision-makers to outline where their mobile technology priorities were for 2021. Leading areas in included, key upgrades across security platforms (45%), outdated software (37%), and hardware (35%), with 5G also a notable inclusion. A third of respondents (33%) said they’re preparing to integrate 5G-ready devices into their organisations this year with the same number saying they will become an essential factor in the future of hybrid work.