New research from Virtual Bridges, Inc. reveals that the number of devices in the workplace is skyrocketing, changing the way people work and creating significant management and security challenges for IT professionals. Today, 80 percent of companies permit BYOD, with a majority employing VDI to manage the devices, including laptops, thin clients, iPads, tablets and more.

Conducted by Virtual Bridges, the study examines the growing use of personal devices in the workplace, including how they are used and what challenges IT professionals face in providing access to key applications while keeping the corporate perimeter secure.

Findings from respondents point to a number of issues including:

• The number of devices is skyrocketing: 70 percent of users carry three or more devices while 26 percent carry two devices. Only 4 percent carry a single device.

• Devices are used to access a variety of applications: The top access points include files, line of business apps, email and calendars, intranet and corporate access, and the Internet.

• VDI is the most popular strategy for managing BYOD: Among organizations that centralize the management of BYOD, VDI ranks as the most popular solution, followed by mobile device management (MDM), and mobile application management (MAM).

• VDI adoption is growing rapidly: In two years, more than 77 percent of organizations will have a VDI project in place. Today, 37 percent of companies have VDI projects, while another 16 percent are implementing this year.

“While BYOD isn’t new, the fact that a majority of employees are now bringing three or more devices into the workplace is adding significant complexity for IT organizations,” said Jon Senger, chief strategy officer at Virtual Bridges. “As a result of this phenomenon, we’re seeing organizations increasingly turn to VDI due to its ability to ensure sensitive data resides on a central server, regardless of which device, or how many users access it. Users can change locations, switch between devices and work however they desire, without increasing organizational risk or IT headaches.”

View the infographic for a quick summary of the Virtual Bridges research results.

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