Laptops are also more vulnerable to theft, analysts said. Stolen laptops could cost companies an average of US$49,246, with computer costs and the value of data included, according to a study released in April by Ponemon Institute.

While desktop PCs account for the bulk of personal computers sold to enterprises, the gap in laptop sales to enterprises is closing. Of 168 million PCs sold worldwide to professional organizations in 2008, about 95 million were desktops and 73 million were laptops. That's compared to 94.6 million desktops and 47.3 million laptops that shipped in 2006.

Concerns about data integrity triggered Guidance, a Web software provider, to choose a majority of desktops for its hardware infrastructure. The company of 50 employees has a mix of 80 percent desktops and 20 percent laptops.

"Because desktops are stationary, they have a lot of advantages," said Jon Provisor, chief technology officer at Guidance. Desktop maintenance is easier for tasks such as remote security scans and software patches, Provisor said. Desktops are also always connected to the network, which makes it easier to manage them remotely.

General maintenance is difficult for laptops on the road, and users may load rogue software that introduces malware into the network, he said. "[Laptops] aggregate a whole bunch of software -- like plug-ins for Facebook or images or video which end up corrupting the system drive. The desktop is a business tool that is simpler and easier to retain," Provisor said.