Virtualization solutions for mobile devices are on the rise and could provide managed services providers (MSPs) and their customers with the level of control they have been seeking as they look to address the challenges that come with bring your own device (BYOD).

According to a recent ABI Research report, type 1 and type 2 smartphone virtualization activations will grow 20 fold by 2018, exceeding 8 million devices, growing 114 percent year over year in North America.

ABI Research Senior Analyst Jason McNicol said in his prepared statement that the mobility management space changes daily as new mobility solutions emerge, and that virtualization is gaining more acceptance in recent solutions.

"The latest solution now involves virtualization, where a type 1 or type 2 hypervisor is used to create two distinct profiles on the user’s mobile device, work and personal," he said. "This kind of virtualization solution provides IT complete control over the enterprise workspace while the personal side remains private."

In addition, McNicol noted a positive outlook for virtualization mobility solutions: "As this technology gains acceptance over the next few years, enterprises will have yet another workspace management tool available to them for managing devices in a BYOD world."

The report pointed to three major vendors dominating this market in the near future: VMware (VMW), Citrix (CTX) and Red Bend.