Only 51 percent of IT managers say their company has an effective strategy for managing and securing BYOD, according to The Mobility Edge: CDW’s 2012 Small Business Mobility Report.

The report is based on a survey of 752 mobile device users and IT professionals from US small businesses in five industries about their use of smartphones, tablets and laptops.

The report focuses on trends in small business use of mobile technology, such as: bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and use of productivity-enhancing apps; the challenges of mobility, such as managing security of mobile devices and reducing the risk they pose to company networks and data; and what small businesses can do better with the advanced capabilities of today’s mobility solutions.

The survey found that almost all small business users surveyed (94 percent) believe their mobile devices make them more efficient, and most (67 percent) believe their companies would lose competitive ground without those devices – which may explain why IT managers surveyed report that 89 percent of their employees use personally-owned mobile devices for work.

“CDW’s report says that small business users consider productivity and business apps on mobile devices to be game changers that make them more efficient and competitive,” said Jill Billhorn, CDW vice president, small business. “They want still more apps to help them manage unique aspects of their businesses, and the prospect is for dramatic growth in tablet use. That expanding demand, though, also means growing need for solutions to manage and secure mobile devices, as only a fifth of small business IT managers say their company has deployed or even plans to deploy such a solution.”

While few IT managers report using mobile device management (MDM), those who do say it gives them a better grip on mobile devices and applications.

- 67% of IT managers where not familiar with MDM

- 22% have deployed an MDM solution, are currently deploying or plan to deploy

- 57% of MDM solutions will include personal and company-owned devices