IBM man thinks Windows Phone is best for business

Windows Phone
Windows Phone's business-friendly settings are making waves

An official at Big Blue has told of how many of its enterprise customers overwhelmingly prefer for their employees to use Windows Phones.

Jim Szafranski, senior vice president of Customer Platform Services at IBM, said that enterprises would like to see their workers using Windows Phone due to its integration with Microsoft systems. Windows Phone is still being outpaced by iPhone and Android devices though, with just 3 per cent of the market.

It was the strong IT interest that caused IBM to add Windows Phone to its product lines. The company's new MaaS360 suite, which will include WP compatibility, lets IT separate personal apps and data from enterprise software and info on the phone.

Match made in heaven?

Windows Phone 8 also features enterprise-orientated features, like secure boot protocols, app sandboxing, and BitLocker tech that can encrypt the entire device.

"IT likes Microsoft and likes Windows. They've made a lot of investment in things like Active Directory and Exchange and as a result they have a lot of interest in seeing Windows Phone used by employees," Szafranski told RedmonD Magazine. "I don't think anyone is going to be all Windows on mobile, but enterprises do want it and I think they have a strong opportunity when it comes to the enterprise side of purchase decisions."

Whether IBM has put its hat in the ring for the mobile device war is unknown. Big Blue could certainly be a powerful ally for Microsoft, even with their previous histories.