Westron Communications

R.I.P. Premise-based PBX??

With all of the hoopla going on these days about hosted, cloud-based, and software-as-a-service solutions many organizations are choosing to move a lot of their network systems and applications to the cloud.  There is no doubt about that.    And there is also no doubt that moving a lot of these business applications to the cloud is beneficial in many areas, for many reasons, such as no not paying for installation and maintenance of your on-premise equipment.

Just because there are many benefits that cloud computing has to offer that DOES NOT mean that on-premise solutions are dead.   And that goes for the on-premise phone system, or PBX.   Are premise based PBX’s dead?  No.   Not by a long shot.  Just because there are a plethora of benefits to utilizing the cloud does not take away from the fact that many enterprises will always want to utilize the benefits, and control of an on-premise PBX.  Such benefits included with an on-premise PBX include complete control over administration, upgrades, configurations, and custom applications.

Here at Westron Communications we see the value in both on-premise and cloud-based PBX’s.    Different organizations have different needs and desires when it comes to their phone system.   While we certainly generate most all of our revenue from on-premise PBXs we still can’t take away the fact that many organizations are at least evaluating the “cloud” when evaluating different PBX manufacturers.  Because of this we have also adopted two hosted solutions that each has their own place in the market.  This has given Westron Communications a much broader offering for our prospects and current customers.

It’s really not that on-premise PBXs are dead.   To me I think it’s more that people associate the term “PBX” with legacy technology and render the term dead.  Now, with manufacturers moving towards the software-based platforms versus the bulky traditional PBX it appears that PBXs in and of themselves are done and gone.  In fact we call our “phone system”, or “PBX”, a Unified Communications (UC) platform these days.  Because there are so many productivity enhancements and integrations with many of our current business applications we start thinking in terms of UC and tend to think PBXs are dead.   When you look at it closely it is still a PBX.   Whether it’s on-premise or hosted it is still a PBX.  The only difference is one PBX is on your premise and the other is in someone else’s premise.

Hosted and on-premise PBXs each have their place within different organizations.   Organizations now have the option to choose to not have to do a full-on install and pay for any type of maintenance on their communications platform.  However, they do have to pay monthly until they are done using that platform, and at the end still own nothing.   Over time that can be much more costly than purchasing an on-premise PBX.  Sure, the up-front capital investment for an on-premise PBX is going to be a far cry from paying a nominal monthly usage fee for hosted.  On the flip side that monthly fee will surpass the up-front capital investment over time and these are factors that organizations are weighing nowadays when evaluating new phone system platforms.

With hosted you no longer have to worry about maintenance, installation, and up-front capital investment.  These are the real benefits of utilizing a hosted platform.  With on-premise solutions you still have to expect all three.   However, the only recurring cost will be that of support.   And you still get to benefit from doing upgrades on your own time, manage  your own configurations, and have the options to customize applications.

Westron has strategically chosen to offer the ShoreTel IP PBX because it is a platform that truly mitigates a lot of the negative connotations that on-premise PBXs get.    The ShoreTel platform is extremely easy to administer so organizations do not have to pay costly salaries for certified engineers whose sole function is to administer the phone system.  On top of that, if any issues occur a fix is just a phone call away.  Rarely does Westron have to make on-site appearances for fixes.  It’s all IP now so our support is 99% remote.  This saves time and money for all.  ShoreTel, like Westron, sees the place for hosted too.  Because of this, they too have adopted their own hosted platform called ShoreTel Sky.

It’s not that on-premise PBXs are dead.  Not even close.   There are far too many benefits from having your communications system on-premise.   The only thing I see as dead is our old way of thinking.   No longer is the phone system a necessary, and costly, evil.   Now it is a tool for increased efficiencies, productivities, and revenues.  The only question is whether you want it on-premise, or in someone else’s premise.

Why change technology, anyway?

Often times we are asked, “Why do I need to replace my systems that are running perfectly well? They are paid for!”

The suspicion is, “Maybe you guys have some internal sales goal to meet?”, or “The software and hardware manufacturers are in cahoots to make me throw away perfectly good technology so they can push the latest widget or application on our organization.”

It is true that over the years, many systems have been upgraded, replaced, retired, or discarded before their useful life was over. And often, the manufacturer, service provider or integrator did profit from this change in technology. And it does seem some manufacturers have a planned obsolescence strategy. No, not seems; they do. Watch out for those guys.

But there often is a reason to contemplate technology migration. A big reason. RISK.

There is an inherent risk in stretching the life of some technology to the point it becomes unsupportable. And often when the end of life comes for that equipment, it is not pretty.

A case in point happened to one of our clients several years ago. They had kept their old Nortel PBX for many years, and even past the point where Nortel would write a support contract on the system. They had an agreement in place with a small independent engineering firm to fix problems as they arose. In addition, the system did not support IP phone trunks, so they were paying more than double for phone lines than they should have.

One fateful weekend a major power surge hit their facility and destroyed the central PBX system. Immediately over 2,000 users had no phone service. Without a current, supportable system in place, they had to frantically search for a replacement unit that could be put in place immediately. Within 48 hours, they found one that had come off lease at another company.

Of course the system they found was also many years old, and relatively expensive. So, due to budget restrictions, they ended up paying for it with a 5-YEAR lease on an ancient replacement system and were no better off that they were before the disaster. In fact, they were worse off; they had to wait 5 more years until they could upgrade to a system that could save them about $15,000 per month in recurring phone bills. $900,000 in lost savings!

So while there is a risk in installing new technology, there is also risk in keeping the status quo. Our role in life is to consult with our clients and examine, quantify, and document all the risks involved with technology adoption (or non-adoption). Another serious risk is that the user community will not use the shiny new systems the technology folks pick out. We ensure a very high user acceptance by helping folks choose simple solutions to complex problems, and providing personalized training and familiarization services as well. Our job is to mitigate risk for our clients.

Voice Over Long Term Evolution on the Rise

Mobility continues to morph with new, less-expensive service types. This is according to the latest data from Infonetics Research in its Mobile VoIP Services and Subscribers report, which tracks native mobile voice over IP (voice over Long-Term Evolution, or VoLTE) and over-the-top (OTT) mVoIP service.

“The U.S. and Asia, especially South Korea, are leading the voice over LTE charge, with Verizon Wireless, Metro PCS, SK Telecom and LG U+ all planning to launch VoLTE services this year,” said Stephane Teral, principal analyst for mobile infrastructure and carrier economics at Infonetics Research. “In fact, South Korea and Hong Kong have already successfully launched LTE data roaming. By August, SK Telecom expects to have the Samsung Galaxy S3, the first handset to support VoLTE on their network.

With the first VoLTE services launching in late 2012, Infonetics expects the number of global VoLTE subscribers to reach about 300,000 this year.

AT&T plans to have VoLTE in place by 2013, and Clearwire announced that it will offer VoLTE when it launches its TD-LTE network by mid-2013

“This is all good news for VoLTE, of course, but to put it in perspective, even with the VoLTE market ramping quickly here on out, by 2016 VoLTE will make up only about 14 percent of global mobile VoIP revenue, while over-the-top mobile VoIP continues to make up the lion’s share by far,” Teral said.

The number of global OTT mobile VoIP subscribers more than doubled from 2010 to 2011, to 98 million, with about 40 percent of the subscribers based Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

“In the crowded OTT mobile VoIP market, Microsoft/Skype still dominates; however, while the tight integration of Skype with Windows Mobile 8 is important, the Windows Mobile operating system remains a distant player in the smartphone race,” said Diane Myers, Infonetics Research’s principal analyst for VoIP and IMS. “Meanwhile, independent OTT mVoIP providers like Google Voice, Fring, Line2, Nimbuzz, Talkonaut, ThruTu, and Truphone are working to differentiate from Skype and operator-driven OTT services such as T-Mobile’s Bobsled and Telefonica’s TU Me by making their service easier to use, lowering prices, integrating social networking, and adding video features.

“Still, with OTT mVoIP subscribers paying an average of only $14 per year, sustaining an OTT mobile VoIP service is extremely challenging, and most providers face daunting possibilities: go out of business or sell to a larger organization; or find a way to drive revenue beyond cheap calling,” Myers added.

Has your business considered moving mobile calling to an mVoIP service? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Cloud Deployments: Worse Than a Root Canal, Less Likely Than a Unicorn Sighting?

What are the top priorities and challenges IT professionals face when moving to the cloud? via Cisco Global

Everyone wants to be in the cloud, to save money, enhancing security and drive mobility. But without the proper cloud migration strategy, the consequences for your business could be disastrous.

The role of cloud computing is growing significantly in its ability to deliver business applications. Yet many IT decision-makers are facing challenges with their existing IT infrastructure to support the migration of their business applications to the cloud.

An international study a by Cisco revealed that more than one-third (38 percent) of IT decision-makers would rather get a root canal, dig a ditch, or do their own taxes than address network challenges associated with public or private cloud deployments.

These research findings provide insight into the current state of cloud networking and the chasm between IT expectations and network realities. The survey also examines the experiences of IT professionals regarding the level of difficulty and time required to update their networks and migrate their applications to the cloud.

Among its findings, the 2012 Cisco Global Cloud Networking Survey reveals that updating the network is one of the top focus areas for cloud migration. To successfully move more applications to the cloud, the majority of respondents cited a cloud-ready network (37 percent) as the biggest infrastructure element required for further cloud deployments, ahead of a virtualized data center (28 percent) or a service-level agreement from a cloud service provider (21 percent).

This data expands on the Cisco Global Cloud Index, which predicts that more than 50 percent of computing workloads in data centers will be cloud-based by 2014, and that global cloud traffic will grow over 12 times by 2015, to 1.6 zettabytes per year – the equivalent of over four days of business-class video for every person on Earth.

The survey questions more than 1,300 IT decision makers in 13 countries. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of respondents are confident they have enough information to begin their private or public cloud deployments. However, the remainder (27 percent) feels they have more knowledge about how to play Angry Birds than the steps needed to migrate their company’s network and applications to the cloud.

In a clear sign that many IT organizations are still considering and planning cloud migrations, nearly one-quarter (24 percent) of IT decision-makers said that over the next six months, they are more likely to see a UFO, a unicorn or a ghost before they see their company’s cloud migration starting and finishing.

Without proper processes and planning, more than one-quarter (31 percent) said they could train for a marathon in a shorter period of time than it would take to migrate their company’s applications to the cloud.

A majority (76 percent) predict their cloud applications are likely to be breached, yet only one-quarter (24 percent) are confident to the point in which they believe the odds are better for them to be struck by lightning than have their cloud applications breached by an unwanted third party.

Presently, only 5 percent of IT decision makers have been able to migrate at least half of their total applications to the cloud. By the end of 2012, that number is expected to significantly rise, as one in five (20 percent) will have deployed over half of their total applications to the cloud.

Is your organization preparing for a migration to the cloud? In the comments section, tell us what steps you have taken to get ready.

Make conference calls easier, clearer with wireless conference phone

Does your conference phone create more hassles than it solves?

This is the case in many conference rooms. The phone never seems to be in the right place. Moving it might mean stringing wires across walkways, which can create a tripping hazard. Or, if the conference room is large and only one phone is available, it’s nearly impossible to move it during a call so every participant can be heard.

An IP PBX can solve this challenge. New conference phones designed specifically for voice over IP (VoIP) networks offer HD audio for better quality, coupled with wireless microphones and speakers for unprecedented freedom.

One such example is the Revolabs FLX VoIP integrates directly with most IP telephone switches following the SIP standard. Through this integration, features previously available only through digital switch environments, such as voice mail alerts and “do not disturb,” can now be offered with the FLX VoIP.

The phone’s wireless capabilities allow it to be used in small and midsize conference rooms without running any cables. This allows for a clean look while requiring less space on the conference table. The independent microphones, speaker, and dialer of the FLX VoIP give the user freedom and flexibility that other conference phone systems cannot offer.

“The majority of enterprise companies are already on IP phone networks, or will be making the transition soon,” said Martin Bodley, CEO of Revolabs. “Our FLX VoIP helps these companies get the most out of their IP infrastructure, providing unmatched audio quality, wireless freedom, and simple installation, while allowing them to take full advantage of the powerful new features of their digital systems, all at an amazing value.”

Combining wireless operation, high-quality wideband audio, 128-bit encryption, and integrated Bluetooth, the FLX VoIP redefines the conference speakerphone. Unlike the single-component design of previous solutions, Revolabs FLX VoIP evolves the conference phone into several distinct components, giving users unprecedented freedom with respect to placement and accessibility of the speaker, microphones, and dial pad.

Available with a variety of compatible Revolabs microphones, the FLX VoIP supports a lapel microphone worn by one person; an omnidirectional tabletop microphone that captures the sound of six to 10 participants; and a directional tabletop microphone that enables audio capture from two to three people. Because the FLX VoIP dialer operates like a telephone for handset calls and enables the setup of conference calls, there is no need for a separate desk and conference phone.

The Revolabs FLX VoIP can also serve as the audio interface for virtually any major brand of video conferencing equipment, making it the ideal unified communication technology for small to medium-sized conference rooms, executive offices, and small office/home office. FLX VoIP’s integrated Bluetooth technology provides a single collaboration device no matter which communication channel is used, allowing users to connect speakers and microphones to their Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones or computers.

What challenges have you faced when dealing with conference room phones? Tell us about them in the comments.

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Are You on the Money-Saving VoIP Bandwagon?

Voice over IP (VoIP) technology is dramatically changing the telecommunications landscape. Thanks to big savings, flexible features and options for cloud-based services, the market for the global carrier VoIP market is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 16.6 percent between 2011 and 2015.

This forecast from analyst firm TechNavio attributes this high growth rate to increasing demand for VoIP service from both consumers and businesses. At the same time, competition in the VoIP market, combined with a decline in technology prices, will continue to drive costs down for users.

“The Global Mobile Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Solutions market is witnessing the emergence of many new players because of the presence of several factors, such as low entry costs and huge business opportunities,” said a statement from TechNavio’s telecom team. “These new companies are trying to penetrate the market by offering low-cost communication services. This has resulted in a price war among vendors in the market and the established companies are losing their market share to the new entrants. This trend is expected to grow in the next few years with the market expected to witness the emergence of new global and regional players.”

According to the report, since communication services are constantly in use, there is high demand among users for low call tariffs. Since mobile VoIP services are offered over IP-based communication services and require comparatively low investment as compared to legacy networks, over the top providers (OTTPs) are able to offer mobile VoIP solutions at a much lower cost. This is one of the main drivers in the market.

Another study, this one by Axvoice, predicts that the number of U.S. households with wire line service will drop from 151 million in 2010 to just 135 million in 2015. Over the same time period, the number of cellular subscriptions is expected to grow from about 275 million to more than 450 million. VoIP’s growth, Axvoice predicts, will be even more staggering, on a percentage basis, with roughly 22 million subscriptions growing to approximately 66 million between 2010 and 2015.

Many of the reasons for landline’s struggles are obvious, but worth noting, Axvoice suggests:

• Fixed landline phone subscribers have a fixed line rent to pay, which is quite high.
• With the availability of HD voice, land lines lack the clarity of voice that other networks provide.
• They cannot be relied upon owing to their use of old copper wire technology.
• They are not portable.

As VoIP grows more prevalent, prices and mobility will only improve for businesses.

Has your organization embraced VoIP? Tell us about your cost-savings experiences in the comments.

Telework Revolution Is Well Underway

The portion of employees working remotely has more than tripled over the last decade in some industries. This statistic comes from a report from The Conference Board, which shows that the telework trend has grown dramatically in recent years.

Drawn from a number of recent surveys by the U.S. Census Bureau and private sources, The Incredible Disappearing Office : Making Telework Work finds employees taking more frequent advantage of mobility across the board, with 84 percent of employees who telework more than once per month now working remotely at least one day per week. In 2008, that number was 72 percent.

“A confluence of factors, led by the rapid expanse of sophisticated, secure, and relatively inexpensive communication technologies, has sparked a quiet revolution in where and how many Americans do their jobs,” said Amy Lui Abel, director of human capital research at The Conference Board and a co-author of the report. “To take full advantage of the opportunities teleworking provides—while avoiding the many potential pitfalls—employers and employees must engage in an open dialog that establishes the mutual expectations and responsibilities that come with this new workplace culture.”

 The latest research finds that teleworking rates  (just over 2 percent nationwide) remain highest in occupations traditionally associated with the practice—including child care workers (9.1 percent in 2010), writers and authors (9.3 percent), and sales representatives (10.8 percent).

The fastest growth, however, has been outside these familiar work-from-home roles, with the most dramatic increases seen in computer-related positions and others reliant on remote access to technical systems. The advancements in home networking over the last decade have been accompanied by huge teleworking gains among records clerks, 5.5 percent of whom teleworked in 2008 to 2010 (up 516 percent since 2001 to 2003); insurance underwriters (4.5 percent, up 275 percent); lawyers (2.0 percent, up 166 percent); computer software developers (6.1 percent, up 127 percent); and many similar professions.

These trends are fundamentally altering the profile of the average teleworker. Where employees of non-profit organizations were most likely to telework in 2000, by 2010 the for-profit sector had taken the lead. It may be unsurprising that workplace flexibility appeals both to older workers nearing (or delaying) retirement and Gen-Y new hires for whom virtual presence and multichannel communication are second nature.

Steady technical refinement, however, has made teleworking an increasingly attractive business proposition as well. As a case study, Making Telework Work cites IBM’s long-term holistic strategy, which grew out of the 1970s and the idea of installing access “terminals” in employees’ homes. By 1995, 10,000 IBM employees were mobile, allowing the company to move from a traditional 1:1 workspace-to-worker ratio to 1:4. In just that first year, a $41.5 million investment in worker training returned $74 million in savings.

In surveys, teleworkers cite a number of obvious lifestyle benefits. With no commute, employees enjoy time with loved ones during precious morning and evening hours. Based from home, they gain the flexibility to adjust their schedules as job and personal demands arise. Likewise, teleworkers often note improved performance and higher productivity, with the ability to focus on work priorities free of the stress of distractions and office politics.

At the same time, this very autonomy can have distinct drawbacks. Teleworkers may feel cut-off from their colleagues and weakened in their ability to influence both day-to-day decisions and larger strategic plans. They often lack sufficient professional and administrative support and fear that being “out of sight, out of mind” keeps them from being properly recognized and rewarded by management.

With meetings and group projects more difficult to coordinate, teleworkers also risk resentment from office-based colleagues, who may assume additional responsibilities in their absence. Finally, the same “always on” technology that makes the modern home office possible can mean difficulties setting boundaries between home and work time, setting the stage for potential overwork and burnout.

According to Making Telework Work, extensive, proactive planning from the top is key to reaping the significant cost savings and worker-satisfaction gains of teleworking while maintaining organization-wide morale and cohesion. Whether opportunities for telework are reserved for the best-performing employees, promoted across an organization, or used to attract standout applicants from a wider talent pool (such as disabled veterans, semi-retired experts, and parents with young children), leaders must establish formal, transparent guidelines if the “virtual office” is to be a real success.

“Research concurs that the dual lynchpins of effective teleworking are strong management and robust IT,” explained co-author Gad Levanon, director of macroeconomic research at The Conference Board. “With support from HR, managers at all levels must make the ‘mental shift’ to trusting that employees are getting the job done without seeing them every day—and to have the strength to act decisively when they’re not.

“On the technology side, the right hardware and software choices backed up by abundant support staff can make the difference between a seamless transition and hundreds or thousands of man-hours lost to bugs and faulty connections,” Levanon added.

Does your company support teleworking? Tell us about it in the comments section.

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Increase In Web-Based Threat Calls For New Security Solutions

As more companies operate in the cloud and rely on mobility solutions, the security of corporate web sites is becoming increasingly important.

Web applications and web sites are under constant attack and are the most popular targets for hackers. Why? They remain the largest unprotected threat in corporate networks. In fact, a Ponemon Institute survey found that 73 percent of organizations have been hacked at least once in the past two years through insecure web applications.

This growing security threat calls for specific, powerful security solutions. One such solution is Mykonos Web Security Software, which is created by a division of Juniper Networks. The software uses ground-breaking Intrusion Deception Technology to defend against web-based threats in real-time. With Mykonos Web Security, Juniper Networks is changing the return-on-investment of hacking by making it costly, time-consuming and tedious for attackers to chase after false data.

“Juniper’s Mykonos Web Security solution addresses the critical security issues that enterprises face today,” said Jeff Wilson, principal analyst for Infonetics Research. “At a time when buyers are questioning whether their investment in legacy solutions is providing adequate protection from today’s threats, Juniper is providing an innovative solution.”

The latest release of Mykonos Web Security provides 30 new features and enhancements that strengthen protection against a wider range of attackers and hacking techniques, simplify configuration for security administrators, and boost scalability to help ensure holistic protection as traffic volumes increase.

“Web-based threats have become a major concern, and companies require a proactive solution with real-time prevention to augment traditional-network security defenses,” said David Koretz, vice president and general manager, Mykonos Software, a Juniper Networks Company. “Mykonos is the first company to detect hackers during the reconnaissance phase of an attack. We can track, profile and, most importantly, respond to an attacker before the damage is done.”

The Mykonos Web Security solution uses a fascinating – and devastating – strategy to trap attackers. The solution creates detection points – or tar traps – to identify malicious actors in real-time as they attempt to hack their desired target.

Once attackers are identified, Mykonos Web Security prevents them from compromising critical information, wastes their time by presenting false vulnerabilities and provides valuable intelligence to thwart future attacks. This active, intelligence-based approach uses Mykonos’ Intrusion Deception System – the only system that truly neutralizes threats as they occur – giving companies the upper hand by using attackers’ actions against them without relying on signatures or passively restricting traffic.

With its latest release, Mykonos Web Security now detects a wider range of attackers and hacking techniques, protecting against more threats, as well as provides new countermeasures. These include:

• Preventing brute-force authentication attacks that rapidly guess combinations of user names and passwords to gain access to systems. Mykonos Web Security prevents the attacker from using any compromised credentials, even if an attacker happens to guess the correct password.
• Defending against directory traversal attempts that are used to map web sites to gain additional information on how to attack them.
• Integrating third-party software vulnerability protection into Mykonos Web Security, which helps prevent against known software vulnerabilities typically targeted by automated attack scripts. Mykonos Web Security now integrates a large library of known third-party attack data into its tracking, profiling, and response systems.

Does your organization utilize a solution that guards against web-based attacks? Tell us about it in the comments section.

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Cloud May Be The Key To Greater UC Adoption

Unified communications (UC) solutions providers may drive higher adoption of UC technologies with managed services and cloud-based delivery models, according to new research released by CompTIA, a nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry.

Interest in UC remains high. Four out of five companies surveyed for CompTIA’s Second Annual Unified Communications Market Trends study perceive that UC provides additional value. Large and medium sized companies and those with a higher proportion of telecommuting workers are most bullish.

Also, budgets for communications and collaboration solutions are increasing or keeping pace with other technology priorities at 85 percent of companies surveyed.

“Organizations have a clear vision of what they expect to gain from unified communications – greater employee productivity, reduced costs and a means to improve customer engagement,” said Seth Robinson, director of technology analysis for CompTIA. “But to get there, significant barriers must be overcome.”

Among the challenges identified in the CompTIA survey are:

• integrating new unified communications tools with existing technologies
• calculating return on investment
• incorporating mobility, social networking, collaboration and video conferencing

Additionally, some aspects of UC systems may not be considered reliable enough for every potential customer, or specific capabilities sought by a customer may not be readily available.

The human element may also stymie broader adoption, according to the CompTIA survey. Even in organizations that offer a wide range of communications tools, employees tend to use only those options with which they are most familiar: email and voice, primarily; and instant messaging, web conferencing and social tools to a lesser extent.

Given the challenges organizations face in implementing UC solutions, cloud systems or managed services can provide significant advantages. In fact, approximately seven out of 10 companies in the CompTIA survey say they will consider a cloud system or managed services model for their UC needs.

“What we are most likely to see is a hybrid approach in many organizations, using the cloud for collaboration and web conferencing, and on-premise infrastructure for data, voice and video,” Robinson said.

Technology solution providers are in a prime position to help companies address their UC needs, beginning by leading clients through a needs assessment to determine which style and tool options might work best. Robinson cites video conferencing as a prime example.

In the CompTIA survey 71 percent of companies have some form of video conferencing in place, with another 16 percent planning to add it over the next year. But just 27 percent of employees are extremely comfortable with the format, and video accounts for less than 10 percent of communications in companies where it is installed.

“By assessing the true requirements for video, then building the proper solution and delivering follow-on education, solution providers can ensure that any investment leads to positive results,” Robinson said.

Majority Distrust Mobile Security

Individuals are using more mobile devices, applications, services and networks than ever before, and they are accessing critical personal and professional information while “on the go.”

Despite this growth, consumer trust in mobile security is uncertain, according to the Trusted Mobility Index, a global survey conducted by Juniper Networks.

Just 15 percent of survey respondents said they have a great deal of confidence in the security of their mobile devices and services, while the vast majority (63 percent) are at a crossroads and simply do not know if they should trust that their mobile experiences are secure.

This lack of consumer confidence puts mobile adoption at risk, Juniper contends.

“The mobile revolution is unleashing massive opportunities, but our research shows we are at a critical turning point,” said Nawaf Bitar, senior vice president over the security business unit for Juniper Networks. “The speed and scale at which mobile innovations can have a positive impact on society will depend on the industry’s ability to address new security vulnerabilities before they undermine people’s sense of safety. We must act now to protect and preserve trust in mobility.”

The survey found that all it would take is a single security vulnerability – real or perceived – for people to change their mobile behaviors or abandon certain mobile services altogether.

The majority of people (71 percent) said they would stop using critical services like online banking (78 percent), that they would no longer send private communications (57 percent) and they would stop viewing medical (54 percent) or work-related information (52 percent).

According to the survey, mobile security is an important issue that affects everyone – not just corporations – and many have a part to play in building more trusted mobile experiences.

“Building trust in mobility is just as important as building great networks and powerful applications,” said Dan Hoffman, chief mobile security evangelist for Juniper Networks. “Creating a safer, more secure and trusted mobile experience requires a sustained, collective effort by mobile service providers, device manufacturers, software developers, networking companies and security experts.”

In addition, the survey found:

• Mobile users worldwide own an average of three Internet-connected devices, while nearly one in five people (18 percent) own five or more devices.
• Three-quarters (76 percent) of mobile users access their banking or personal medical information while on the go, while 89 percent of respondents who use their personal devices for business purposes say they access sensitive work information.
• Further, the trend toward a bring your own device (BYOD) enterprise is creating new concerns for IT leaders, with nearly half of all respondents using their personal device for work (41 percent) without permission from their company.
• Mobile users rank network security (69 percent) and network reliability (45 percent) as the top two drivers of trust in their mobile devices, followed by device security (43 percent).
• The majority of mobile device users (63 percent) hold service providers most responsible for protecting their sensitive data, followed by device manufacturers (38 percent) and software security providers (34 percent).
• For advice on mobile security, people look to industry security experts (20 percent), service providers (14 percent), software security providers (13 percent) and device manufacturers (10 percent).

Has your organization taken steps to secure mobile data? Tell us about it in the comments.