Mobile Virtualization: Future of Mobile Computing and Application Delivery
Mobile Virtualization: Future of Mobile Computing and Application Delivery
Blog Article
Mobile virtualization refers to the partitioning of mobile device resources and the ability to run multiple operating systems concurrently on a single mobile device. With virtualization, a single mobile device can emulate multiple virtual instances of operating systems to run applications in isolation from each other. This allows users and enterprises to securely run a personal and work profile on the same device without concern for data sharing or leakage between profiles. Virtualization offers a number of advantages in application delivery, security, and manageability over traditional approaches.
Benefits of Mobile Virtualization for Applications
One of the key benefits of Mobile Virtualization is that it allows a single mobile device to run multiple operating systems and applications at the same time. For example, a user could run their personal Android profile while also running a secondary work profile for iOS applications. This overcomes the limitations of being confined to a single device platform. It also enables application streaming where applications can be hosted remotely on servers or in the cloud and streamed to devices on demand. This decouples applications from physical devices and supports universal access from any device.
Virtualization also improves application compatibility across different device platforms and versions. With virtual instances, applications can still run even if the host device OS is outdated or does not directly support the app. Organizations gain more flexibility in deploying a broader range of applications to their mobile workforces irrespective of the variety of devices used. Virtualization makes it easier for developers too as they can test applications within standardized virtual environments without modification for each physical device type.
Enhanced Mobile Security with Virtualization
Another major benefit is the enhanced security brought by mobile virtualization. IT administrators have full control over the work profiles and can configure them securely based on their requirements such as enforced encryption, password policies, login restrictions etc. This allows enterprises to achieve compliance with industry regulations around data protections.
The virtual profiles run in complete isolation from personal profiles and applications. Even if a device is lost or compromised, work data remains protected within its secure sandbox and cannot leak to the personal profile. Moreover, virtual instances can be easily wiped or reinstalled in the event of loss while preserving the personal user experience on the same device. These security controls allow enterprises to safely deploy BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) programs and avoid the risks of data mingling across profiles on shared devices.
Simplified Mobile Management
With more employees now using personal devices for work, managing and securing the ecosystem of mobile endpoints has become a challenge for IT teams. Mobile virtualization addresses this by presenting managed devices to IT as if they were corporate-liable owned devices. Virtual profiles are fully controlled centrally through Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Mobile Application Management (MAM) tools.
Administrator's get single-console views over all corporate resources, profiles and applications accessed by users. Remote actions such locking, locating, wiping devices now apply only to the work profile without disrupting personal data. Software updates, security patches and compliance checks can be automatically rolled out to all virtual instances. This results in significant improvements to the manageability, monitoring and support of employer-enabled devices. Enterprises save costs by reducing dependence on physical device procurement and management.
Challenges in Mobile Virtualization Adoption
While virtualization promises clear advantages, its adoption has been slow due to technical challenges encountered during implementation. Limited processing and graphics capabilities of mobile devices have posed performance issues when running multiple concurrent virtual instances. Early virtualization platforms lacked stability and native integration with host OS' resulting in glitches, heating issues and reduced battery life.
Application developers also faced difficulties in porting apps designed for single embedded systems to run within virtual environments. Ensuring virtual profiles have appropriate access to device hardware like cameras, GPS while isolating them from personal data stores involved complex re-architecture. Compatibility issues arose due to the fast release cycles and platform fragmentation in the mobile industry. These issues deterred many enterprises from virtualization pilots and forced them to rely on alternative controls like MAM for securing mobile deployments.
Advancements in Mobile Virtualization Solutions
However, with steady improvements in mobile chipsets, memory and GPU technologies hardware-assisted virtualization has become a reality. Modern mobile processors natively support virtualization extensions and resource management features that can run muliiple secure profiles simultaneously while optimizing performance and battery usage.
Virtualization vendors have also developed advanced software solutions that avoid emulation overheads by leveraging these hardware assist capabilities. They provide tight integration with popular mobile platforms and streamlined migration paths for applications without recompilation. Wide market adoptions like Samsung Knox and Intel VMware have established virtualization standards optimizing the user experience.
Going Forward
As these technical barriers fall, adoption of virtualization by enterprises is projected to rise significantly in the coming years. Gartner estimates over 50% of large organizations will implement virtualization or containment strategies for securing their mobile workforces by 2023. As the need for flexible work models increase post-pandemic, virtualization will help securely unlock the true potential of BYOD by separating work and personal lives on any mobile device. With further optimizations to device compatibility, manageability and performance, virtualization is poised to completely transform the way applications are deployed and accessed across fragmented operating systems in the future.
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