Citrix: Enterprise mobility offers UAE businesses competitive advantage

Citrix said the majority of IT decision makers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are interested in deploying enterprise mobility services, despite some remaining concerns over the security, cost and investment of such a move.

A survey of 100 senior IT managers conducted for Citrix by market research company IPSOS revealed that 44 per cent are concerned about the security of mobility services. However, 75 per cent said they have already embarked on the path to rolling out services in some capacity. The remainder said they were still debating whether to encourage remote working by deploying mobility services, the software company stated.

The survey showed that most UAE IT decision makers believe the ability for employees to work remotely offers productivity benefits. Some 71 per cent perceive that mobility solutions enable staff to execute tasks more quickly, while 63 per cent believe the approach offers greater flexibility in terms of meeting customer needs. Enterprise mobility is also perceived to improve business continuity, with this factor cited by 62 per cent of respondents.

Employees are also backing the ability to work remotely or utilise bring-your-own-device (BYOD) services in the workplace, Citrix noted.

Of the 208 employees IPSOS polled as part of the research, 82 per cent said they prefer working remotely. The primary reasons reported include a reduction in commuting time, and the ability to spend more time with their family. Some 80 per cent of employees said they believe remote working would have a positive impact on their health, and 66 per cent said the approach would improve their ability to meet customer needs.

Citrix stated that high mobile and smartphone penetration in the UAE is fuelling interest in offering mobile working solutions. The company said the mobile penetration rate in the market stands at 200 per cent, and smartphone penetration at 74 per cent.

Johnny Karam, Citrix' regional VP for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, said the study highlights that UAE companies must quickly examine options for providing flexible working conditions to staff. Companies that fail to do so "will fall behind their more forward-thinking competitors" and "will also lose out in recruiting and retaining the best staff as today's generation of tech-savvy 'digital natives' increasingly become intolerant of poor technology access at work."

For more:
- see this Citrix release

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