BYOD – Bring Your Own Device

BYOD – No, nothing to do with alcohol.  BYOD stands for Bring Your Own Device or more technically known as “Mobile Enterprise Management.” This growing movement has many concerns in the workplace especially with some corporate policies and the IT department.  The concept allows employees to use their personal devices (laptop, smartphone, tablet etc.) as a company device rather than using the devices that is actually owned by the company. The issue is how to regulate these devices without employees getting access to sensitive data that can be detrimental to the company.

This trend has companies embracing the idea even though the risks can sometimes outweigh the benefits.

Let’s take a look…

Benefits

• Enhanced Productivity – Mobile devices offers convenience and speed for employees who travel, work from home, by just bu staying connected.  Smartphones have become a primary way to communicate and share both work-related and personal information throughout the course of the day.
• Cost Savings – The costs associated with personal devices are just that: personal.  Most employees are willing to purchase their preferred mobile device including a data plan.  This is a huge cost savings for the company compared to the investments into company-issued devices.
• Familiarity – People tend to use and buy devices they are comfortable with.
• Cutting Edge Technology – It’s difficult for companies to purchase the latest and greatest technologies every time one hits the market.  With BYOD, employees are more likely to stay current with their devices.
• Improved Morale – Employees are happier when using their own devices.

Risks

• Data compliance and ownership – Security is the number one concern of BYOD programs and it will remain a prime focus to ensure there are no data breaches.
• Employee Termination – In the event that an employee leaves the company, retrieving the company data can be difficult.
• Liability – If a BYOD gets broken or lost, who will pay for it?
• Exposure to viruses and hackers – Company provided equipment is typically protected with enterprise level security, while with personal devices information is only safe as the user allows it to be.
•  Hardware/Software Compatibility – Not all employees will have the same hardware and software on their devices, making it harder to diagnose a problem and support trouble-shooting as necessary.

I hope that you found this information helpful.  Please feel free to forward to others.  If you would like to learn more on this topic or would like to request another topic for the future please contact me.