Android and iOS easier to manage than desktop OS, according to IT leaders

In a world where nearly everything is mobile, on the go, and on-demand, a common misconception is that your IT department needs you to be sitting at a desk in order to effectively troubleshoot any issues that crop up. While this may have been the case in 1995, and while Friends is somehow still popular, much has changed in the past 25 years.

A recent NetMotion Software survey of IT professionals in the US and the UK, compared mobile devices running iOS, Android with their MacOS and Windows desktop counterparts. In what may seem like a surprise result, iOS and Android came out ahead, being judged as easier to manage than your run-of-the-mill desktop OS. In fact 92% of respondents ranked Android and iOS devices either “easy” or “acceptable” to manage. Meanwhile, Windows devices scored 88% and MacOS came in at a relatively distant 4^th place, at 76% easy or acceptable to manage.

Looking at these data, it wouldn’t be speaking out of class to say that while Windows desktop OS and MacOS (in their various flavors of OS X Tiger, Leopard, Lion, Snow Leopard, Catalina, etc.) have been iterating on the same old themes for decades, while devices like your smartphone and tablet have seen enormous innovation.

The smaller form factors and sheer forces of market competition have created an environment demanding more flexibility to cater to the needs of consumers. That now applies to remote workers, too. It’s also worth pointing out that in recent years, the powerful phone in your pocket offers native apps that work just as well, and sometimes even better than the versions on desktop machines.

How IT professionals view the IT experience

If you don’t believe me, here’s the proof on this handy dandy chart.

Chart, bar chart

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The other side of this coin is that remote workers are actually happier using their remote devices. As the paradigm continues to shift toward workers being out and about, having the agility to take care of that email or put out that quick fire has been paramount in achieving some semblance of a work/life balance. I mean, who is trying to open up their laptop again after the standard grind? IT workers have noticed that as well, and the ease of management has kept everybody involved pleased.

The future is here

In the future, it’s safe to say that despite being easier to manage, there will be an uptick on mobile devices per user for remote workers. This is where solutions like NetMotion’s Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM) will come to the forefront. Visibility all the way to the edge of the network is crucial. If you have remote workers running around with a laptop, a phone, and a tablet, your best bet at fixing problems is to access real-time data to see what’s happening.

Troubleshooting remote problems is far easier when armed with knowledge about what may be causing problems. This visibility not only helps IT teams react to trouble tickets, it can even help them preemptively prevent a problem before it happens. Again, this keeps the end user happy, and in some instances makes them feel seen rather than being another spoke on the wheel with a connectivity or application issue.

Easy deployment is key

Platforms like DEM are easy to deploy and configure on end-user devices. With so many employees no longer accessing applications and services via the corporate network, DEM tools effectively fill the gap to keep them safe and provide IT teams with far more control.

Frankly, the adoption and acceptance from most IT departments over mobile devices has been impressive. It’s easy to simply be stuck in your ways and not embrace the direction that technology is taking. But after getting some insight, like the results of the survey above, embracing remote working seems to be the best way to stay future proof.