2016 Mobility 100: 25 Coolest Mobile Software And Service Vendors

25 Coolest Mobile Software and Service Vendors

For solution providers looking to help enterprises mobilize their workforce, there are a variety of bundled services, including unified communications and collaboration services, VoIP services, and push-to-talk services.

Another aspect of a mobile workforce that must be considered is software—whether it's Windows, iOS or Android, what's the best, most manageable and most secure platform for devices?

With features like backup and recovery, mobile printing, and data protection services like BlackBerry's Experience Suite and Barracuda Networks' solutions, vendors look at specific enterprise market needs for companies transitioning to a mobile-first workplace.

CRN takes a look at 25 vendors in the mobile industry with the coolest services bundles or software offerings.

Acronis

Serguei Beloussov, CEO

Headquarters: Burlington, Mass.

Acronis specializes in on-premise enterprise file sharing services for mobile, Mac and Windows. The company's solution, Acronis Access Advanced, balances employees' productivity needs with company requirements for data security, visibility and compliance.

Asigra

David Farajun, CEO

Headquarters: Toronto

Asigra offers mobile data protection and recovery services that both reseller partners and managed service providers can take advantage of. The company offers support for tablets and smartphones and includes features like ’One Click’ for quick data backup and recovery as well as self-management capabilities.

AT&T

Randall Stephenson, CEO

Headquarters: Dallas, Texas

AT&T Enterprise Business Services provides networking, mobility, cloud, hosting, app management, VPN and VoIP solutions for medium to large businesses. On the mobile front, AT&T offers enhanced push-to-talk services, as well as mobile messaging and prepackaged mobile applications to drive growth for lines of business.

BackBlaze

Gleb Budman, CEO

Headquarters: San Mateo, Calif.

Backblaze offers backup services for Macs or Windows computers, but users taking advantage of Backblaze services can also access files on Backblaze Mobile, available for Apple's iOS or Google's Android operating systems. Backblaze Mobile enables users on the go to access files backed up from mobile clients.

Barracuda Networks

William Jenkins, CEO

Headquarters: Campbell, Calif.

Barracuda's backup solutions help enterprises quickly and securely store data in multiple offsite locations. The Barracuda Backup for on-site and remote data storage and access removes duplicate data inline at the block level to reduce traditional backup storage requirements.

BlackBerry

John Chen, CEO

Headquarters: Waterloo, Canada

Once a titan in the mobile hardware industry, BlackBerry has changed its focus to delve into software and services, introducing its trademark cross-platform BlackBerry Experience Suite in 2015. This product is comprised of a variety of bundled services, including communication services, document and email management services, and security solutions for work messages.

Box

Aaron Levie, CEO

Headquarters: Redwood City, Calif.

Box helps businesses collaborate simply and securely from any device by sharing and managing files with other devices. With Box's app, users can easily view and share their files, share field data faster, and quickly find documents with Box Sync, which keeps mobile data in sync.

Broadview Networks

Michael Robinson, President, CEO

Headquarters: Rye Brook, N.Y.

Broadview Network's OfficeSuite platform is an easy-to-use cloud phone system for enterprises that unifies communications in the cloud and enables users in both SMBs and large enterprises to manage their organization and gain increased visibility into their enterprise.

Carbonite

David Friend, CEO

Headquarters: Boston

Carbonite specializes in backup and recovery services, with its product Carbonite Mobile available to back up the contents of users' devices. Carbonite Mobile, an app for iOS and Android, offers features like remote wiping, the ability to reset phones to factory settings if compromised, and device locator capabilities.

Cisco Systems

Chuck Robbins, CEO

Headquarters: San Jose, Calif.

Cisco touts bundled mobility services for partners, including enterprise mobility services, as well as context-aware software and location tracking to locate compromised devices, and adaptive wireless IPS software that keeps tabs on user RF environments to minimize legal liabilities and ensure regulatory compliance.

Citrix Systems

Kirill Tatarinov, CEO

Headquarters: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Citrix offers its Workspace Suite as a way for IT administrators to easily and securely mobilize their workforces. The Workspace Suite delivers secure access to apps, data and services from any device through a single, flexible solution.

Code 42

Joseph Payne, CEO

Headquarters: Minneapolis

Code 42's product for SMBs, Crashplan, enables customers to access cloud-based files and share them through email or in compatible apps. Businesses with Crashplan also gain access to Crashplan Mobile, which allows users to readily access files in their online backup systems from any mobile device.

ElephantDrive

Michael Fisher, Co-Founder, CEO

Headquarters: Santa Monica, Calif.

ElephantDrive offers its Everywhere Folder, in which users can put their files and automatically sync data to all devices. But on the mobile end, the product allows users to view, access, save and share their files from iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Users can also upload files to ElephantDrive from their mobile devices.

Google

Sundar Pichai, CEO

Headquarters: Mountain View, Calif.

Google's Android operating software touts several business services, including Google Apps for Work, which allows users to get email, documents, storage and other features that are customized for their business. Google also offers services incluing AdSense, Google Analytics, Google My Business and Google Cloud Platform.

iDrive

Raghu Kulkarni, CEO

Headquarters: Los Angeles

Businesses can back up their mobile devices with iDrive, as well as set up privacy to the highest level with private key encryption. iDrive allows users to backup contacts, photos, videos and other tools on iOS and Android, and instantly add or sync files from mobile devices.

LogMeIn

William Wagner, CEO

Headquarters: Boston

LogMeIn allows businesses to quickly troubleshoot smartphones for extended support options and control. The company's SaaS solution, LogMeIn Rescue, couples a technician console, customer applet capabilities and administration center features for remote support across an array of devices.

Microsoft

Satya Nadella, CEO

Headquarters: Redmond, Wash.

Microsoft's Windows software platform for mobile devices features several key enterprise features for phones, tablets and 2-in-1s, particularly the Surface Pro series. Its most recent platform, Windows 10, includes enhanced security features like Windows Hello, as well as UI improvements with the introduction of its personal digitized assistant, Cortana.

NetSuite

Zach Nelson, CEO

Headquarters: San Mateo, Calif.

NetSuite mobility extends collaboration and productivity beyond the workplace with intuitive tools such as sales force automation, marketing automation and customer service management. NetSuite offers mobile apps for iPhone and Android to meet customer demand for access to ERP capabilities.

NTT America

Kazuhiro Gomi, President, CEO

Headquarters: New York

NTT Communications offers a broad portfolio of services for customers specializing in everything from network to data center. On the voice communications side, the company offers Arcstar UCaaS, a cloud-based unified communication service package facilitating collaboration between employees in multiple locations.

PrinterOn

Angus Cunningham, President, CEO

Headquarters: Ontario, Canada

PrinterOn's wireless mobile printing solutions allow users to remotely print from any device over a secure network. PrinterOn reaches users in various industries, including education, hospitality and financial services. Users can print from iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices.

RingCentral

Vlad Shmunis, CEO

Headquarters: Belmont, Calif.

RingCentral Mobile enables businesses to embrace BYOD policies on Android or iOS mobile devices. RingCentral essentially offers business phone systems in the cloud, meaning that mobile users can make and receive calls, faxes and texts, as well as set up and join conference calls. Users can also configure phone system settings and voicemail.

Sprint

Marcelo Claure, CEO

Headquarters: Overland Park, Kan.

Sprint's portfolio of services aims to help customers step up their productivity. The services lineup includes products like Direct Connect, push-to-talk services from Sprint that offers access on a wide range of iPhones and Android smartphones, as well as comprehensive coverage for safeguarding user phones or data cards and online tools to locate, lock or wipe devices that are compromised.

Stratix

Gina Gallo, President, CEO

Headquarters: Norcross, Ga.

Stratix provides customers with services for planning, provisioning and deploying mobile solutions into business environments, as well as device and app management services, and analysis services for mobile investments. Hardware, software and mobile operator resellers can take advantage of Stratix services.

Sungard Availability Services

Andrew Stern, CEO

Headquarters: Wayne, Pa.

Sungard Availability Services offers an array of mobile-related services, including security and compliance solutions for specific business needs, application management for gaining the highest level of performance and availability on apps, and disaster recovery services to protect data.

Verizon Enterprise Solutions

Chris Formant, SVP, President

Headquarters: New York

Verizon has an array of services that help partners provide business communications solutions. These services include Unified Communications and Collaboration as a Service to help users build voice connections and give mobile users secure access to systems, as well as VoIP services and Customer Contact solutions to provide users with enhanced communications technologies.