Bigger phones are driving more video and more data consumption and the lines between business and personal mobility are blurring, concludes a new report from virtualization software vendor Citrix Systems.
The Citrix Mobile Analytics report for the first half of 2015 is an analysis of anonymously sourced mobile subscriber and business mobility data from a cross-section of Citrix customers. It finds that the line between personal and business mobility continues to blur as people routinely use the same smartphones and tablets across every part of their lives.
“It’s no longer possible to maintain artificial boundaries of personal and business mobility,” said Chris Fleck, vice-president of mobility solutions and alliances with Citrix, in a statement. “With insights into the latest mobile user behavior, preferences and needs, the Mobile Analytics Report provides a window into the potential pitfalls and opportunities for mobile operators and enterprise IT to deliver mobile experiences that people expect at home, work, and play.”
Among the report’s conclusions is that as screen sizes get bigger, so does that data bill. Data use has progressively increased with the launch each new Apple iPhone, to the point that the iPhone 6 Plus generates 10 times the data usage of the iPhone 3Gs, and twice that of the iPhone 6. Video is largely driving this trend, with larger screens making for a better viewing experience.
When it comes to stickiness while watching video, its unsurprising that Netflix had the longest average viewing session with 77 per cent watching for more than five minutes at a time – 23 per cent would get through an episode of TV at 15 to 30 minutes. Conversely, 90 per cent of YouTube viewing sessions were less than five minutes.
We’re spending an average of 4.6 minutes at a time with our smartphones, peaking at noon, 9PM and 10PM when we could spend as much as nine minutes staring at our screens.
In the business world, there are a lot more devices kicking around. Global device enrollment is up by 72 per cent from 2013. Over half of these devices are Apple iOS devices at 64 per cent; Android clocked in at 27 per cent and Windows Mobile at nine per cent. That breakdown by OS has stayed relatively consistent year to year, with Windows gaining a few points, largely from Android. On the flip side, Android is the more popular choice in the consumer world.
When examined by vertical, iOS is dominant in the education space at 78 per cent penetration, as well as the legal and financial sectors. Government and public administration showed a preference for Android, while Windows did best in the manufacturing industry at seven per cent – likely due to compatibility with existing Microsoft backend solutions.
There appears to be a difference of opinion in the business world between good apps and bad apps, with Facebook and Twitter appearing on the lists of both top blacklisted and whitelisted apps. It could be a case where some job roles, such as marketing, have a business need for these tools while others do not.