By Daniel Eran Dilger
Published: 04:00 AM EST (01:00 AM PST)
Enterprise mobile services vendor Good Technology reported a 64 percent increase in the iPad's share of all device activations over the past quarter among its more than 2,000 companies deploying mobile devices. The jump extended Apple's iOS lead over Android, with more than twice as many device activations over all of 2010.
Good provides push messaging, device management and security products for corporate mobile users, serving as an alternative to RIM's BlackBerry Enterprise Server. As such, Good supports mobile platforms outside of RIM's own, including Microsoft's Windows Mobile, Symbian, and adding relatively new support for iPhone and Android in December of 2009.
After a full year of supporting its Good for Enterprise solution on both the iOS and Android platforms, Good now reports that iOS devices represent more than 65 percent of all new device activations in the winter quarter of 2010, up from 56 percent last quarter. iPad itself has grown from 14 to 22 percent of all device activations over the same period.
iPhone 4 was the most popular device being put into use by Good's enterprise clients, followed by the iPad, although the iPhone 3G and 3GS remained in the top five. The top ten devices were rounded out by Android models, with the most popular being Motorola's Droid X and Droid 2, both of which placed ahead of the now two and a half year old iPhone 3G but still remained behind the low end iPhone 3GS from 2009.
Windows Mobile and Symbian were pushed out of the top ten entirely in the third quarter by devices running iOS or Android, just one year after Good added support for those new mobile platforms.
Enterprise adoption by industry
Good noted that Financial Services represented the greatest growth in new device activations, fueled by enthusiastic adoption of iPhone by companies such as Deutsche Bank Equity Research, which
recently reported its own "overwhelming positive" experience in using Good's enterprise product with the iPhone in place of RIM's BlackBerry.
Specific to iPad, Good reported that new activations of Apple's tablet by companies within the Financial Services segment jumped from the high twenties to 40 percent.
Along with Healthcare, Good noted "high levels of enterprise mobile device adoption" being "fueled by iPads in these security-minded sectors." Both industries have "clearly found in the iPad a tool that meets their needs," the report said.
Android growth stalls in June, Apple retains clear lead
In its previous quarterly
report, Good noted that adoption of iOS had formerly peaked in May, when Apple's platform accounted for 60 percent of all new activations. Android grew rapidly in June, peaking at 36 percent of new enterprise activations. However, by September Android had slipped back down below 30 percent while Apple stabilized at a 56 percent share of activations.
The dual punch of Apple's iPad and iPhone 4 launches this summer appear to have blunted the grown of Android in the enterprise, mirroring a similar phenomenon witnessed in Verizon's
weakening Android device sales over the same period. While Good doesn't count RIM's BlackBerry platform, Verizon's rapidly collapsing sales of BlackBerry models may provide some context for its relative standing in business as well.
This quarter, Good noted that, "as Verizon adds the iPhone 4 to its portfolio in 2011, we anticipate even broader adoption of iOS devices."
