Forrester Research analysts found that "the Leaders balance OS, app and data-management functionality while providing flexible container options and productivity apps, and have demonstrated a strong vision and road map to help customers bring their PC and mobile management strategies together."

According to the analysis, IBM received the top score in the current offering category for strengths across criteria such as architecture and scale, mobile platform support, reporting and analytics, containerization, data management and security, and app security.

According to IBM, these easy-to-integrate solutions provide organizations with the flexibility to fully embrace enterprise mobility, regardless of company size or industry. Specifically, the IBM MobileFirst portfolio enables clients to protect and manage their mobile infrastructure while supporting the secure development and deployment of mobile apps that improve productivity and decision making – empowering employees to take action whether in an office or in the field.

With the IBM MobileFirst portfolio, users can quickly enroll in "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) programs and utilize self-service capabilities that improve the overall user experience across multiple devices and operating systems. The solution scales to support complex use cases and incorporates advanced analytics to help clients track and manage usage patterns and adapt policies accordingly to provide safe, reliable access to job- and role-specific applications.

"While many businesses today are just beginning to address the challenges associated with BYOD, we're also seeing the first wave of truly mobile enterprises driving innovation and growth in their industries," said Deepak Advani, GM, Cloud & Smarter Infrastructure, IBM. "The IBM MobileFirst portfolio gives organizations the freedom and power to develop solid mobile strategies and applications, infused with analytics to gain actionable insights, while improving security for both the user and enterprise."

IBM provides the industry's most comprehensive set of mobile management and security capabilities covering devices, applications, users, content, data, and transactions. These offerings span applications running on corporate-owned devices and employee-owned BYOD situations, to securing consumer transactions. For example, the IBM MobileFirst portfolio adds protection and visibility through security intelligence and managed security services; protects sensitive corporate data with flexible containers; and enables secure content collaboration.

The IBM MobileFirst portfolio can be purchased as a suite of services to support large strategic deployments or as individual modules for solving immediate needs and allowing expansion as needs change.