There is a paradox at the heart of 21st century business processes. The effective sharing of data makes these processes more efficient but carries an inherent risk that the data may be compromised. This applies both to providing access to data for mobile and remote employees and the sharing of data with external users. In the latter case, Quocirca research has recently suggested that improving the way business processes operate, among SMBs at least, is the primary motivation for such sharing (figure 1).
The risks involved with sharing data can be mitigated. How this is best done depends on a number of factors, including the user, the device, who owns the device, the application involved and the type of connection. Historically, users have gained access to centrally managed data and applications via employer-owned and -managed mobile PC devices using VPN connections to internal servers.
Today, many SMBs do not have their own physical servers, often turning to cloud, and while VPN access can be set up relatively easily on employer-supplied laptops, it is harder if external users are using their own devices. It is also more likely to involve smartphones and tablets than traditional PCs, due to consumerisation (figure 2). In theory, VPN access can be provided for these, but this creates a host of management issues, such as those surrounding the licensing of corporate software on externally owned devices.
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