Usage of these devices varies from workplace to workplace. In many cases, it is the organization's executives who first get the iPad or Android phone for themselves and ask the IT staff to support it, notes Fleck.

In other cases, the devices are used to make life easier for the mobile employees. The SugarCRM app, for instance, is used mostly by mobile workers to fetch client contact information such as phone numbers, addresses or e-mails from the CRM app back at the office, Oram said.

Citrix has thus far had a million downloads of its Receiver client, available for the iPhone, iPad and the Android. The Receiver software allows users to access their desktop computers, both the applications and the data, although it requires Citrix server software to virtualize the desktop. The client makes life easier for administrators because they don't have to worry about supporting multiple mobile platforms, Fleck said.

Of course, developing for consumer devices can pose additional challenges for enterprise software companies, particularly if they wish to work with Apple, which controls which applications can be deployed on its devices.

"Apple has some room for improvement," in getting more enterprise applications for the devices, Oram said. "The deployment process is a little challenging if you are thinking about a one-off customized application."