Smartphones battle gets fierce for IT decision-makers

With the announcement of several new smartphones to market over the last few weeks – highlighted by Apple’s press event for the iPhone 5 – businesses can expect an influx of requests from employees looking to upgrade their technology or integrate their personal gadgets. Companies, however, need to start weighing all of their option before investing in one, especially if they are going to be coupling them with an existing unified communication solution.

A recent survey of TechRepublic’s CIO Jury – a group of 200 technology executives worldwide – served as the centerpiece for a new article from ZDNet about what IT decision-makers need to take into account before bringing in these devices. While every consumer is going to have their own personal preferences on the smartphones, businesses have more at stake if they make the wrong choice.

The responses showed a trend of Apple‘s style and brand verses Android and Windows development potential and integration capabilities.

Apple will be able to lean on brand loyalty for pure sales numbers. According to TechCrunch, the iPhone 5 presale lasted only an hour before selling out. By comparison, previous installments presales lasted 20 hours or more. However, Apple’s limited product cycle makes any potential hardware and software upgrades few and far between.

The Android cycle, on the other hand, is limitless as many manufacturers use the platform and can turn out new innovations with it much quicker. The new Windows 8 devices will also offer an unprecedented IT collaboration as they will all be running the same operating system kernel, allowing seamless information sharing.

The mobile revolution took a giant step forward recently and businesses looking into it now will have a major leg up on the competition. Companies also need to look at their existing network and cabling solutions to ensure any device upgrades will not bog down the system.

With the announcement of several new smartphones to market over the last few weeks – highlighted by Apple’s press event for the iPhone 5 – businesses can expect an influx of requests from employees looking to upgrade their technology or integrate their personal gadgets.