According to online publisher TechCrunch, by 2020, globally there will be 6.1 billion smartphone users, led by huge growth in less mature markets. That works out to approximately 70 percent of the world’s population using these devices. In addition, research giant Ericsson predicts that “regions like Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa will account for 80 percent of all new subscriptions” by 2020.
As the need for access and communication across the globe grows, smartphones will only continue to grow in popularity. They are often the user’s primary lifeline to the Internet, and that doesn’t just mean while away from home. A growing share of smartphone users are now using their devices as their primary means of online access while at home.
So, with the growth of smartphone usage and the clear benefits of open standards, why have only 11 percent of Federal Agencies embraced an open networking approach?
That question is at the heart of a recent video from Brocade Communications Systems. The battle for proprietary versus open standards in the era of smartphones has long been debated and documented. However, this video offers the opinion that open standards help to drive down costs and amp up innovation which will serve to benefit and give choices to the millions of people using smartphones every day. Oftentimes, many agencies incorrectly believe that proprietary standards mean a more secure network. However, the opposite is true. As our Principles of Open Standards show, innovation and collaboration within the framework of open standards allows for better global interoperability, scalability, stability, and resiliency as well as enabling global competition and continuously encouraging providers to provide the best security possible.
Mobile devices are creating an opportunity for dynamic Internet resources to become available to greater and greater numbers of people. Because of that, keeping the Internet safe, stable, open and interoperable is of greater importance than ever. Open standards that align to our Principles will continue to play a critical role in creating an open internet and driving open innovation, serving as the building blocks for future development of the expansive Internet community.
Where do you land on the proprietary versus open standard argument for smartphones?