Android gains share of enterprise market from Apple

Apple has lost share in the enterprise device market to Android in the past year, according to mobile secure platform company Good Technology, but iOS is still in a commanding position.

According to Good Technology’s Mobility Index Report, which doesn’t track Blackberry, Apple iOS accounted for 72% of new enterprise smartphone activations in Q1 2015. While this is a dominant position it is one percentage point down on the same quarter a year ago, with Android the beneficiary.

In tablets Apple is even more dominant with an 81% share of enterprise in the current quarter, but this represents a much more significant loss over the same period a year ago, when Apple owned 92% of the enterprise tablet market. Android grabbed 15% of the market and Windows seems to be getting a foothold with 4%.

Enterprise remains the secret driver of Apple’s mobile success, with the relatively locked-down nature of the platform providing businesses with greater reassurance than Android in the BYOD era. Apple seems to do especially well in the more regulated industries such as the public sector and financial services, while Android has a relatively strong position in tech and energy. Windows Phone is strongest in entertainment and media.

Aside from device activations the report focuses on which vertical industries are being especially active in custom app development. The insurance industry seems to be especially active in this regard, with a third of all apps activated by them being custom built. The financial sector is especially keen on secure IM, while mobile content related apps popular among professional services and secure browsers are big in manufacturing.