Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is the act of allowing employees to access corporate information via their own devices. Modern workforces need to keep in contact on a regular basis. For that reason, business people prefer to use their own devices to keep the workflow going smoothly. Being able to do their work on their iPhones, iPads, Android or MacBook helps workers be more productive, while lowering your overhead.
Although this may sound attractive, it does have its downsides as IT personnel scramble to keep up with maintenance, security issues and regular technology updates. If not every person in the company understands BYOD and IT doesn’t know how to monitor it, your security and sensitive information could be in jeopardy.
This technology trend goes by other names; however, it all means the same thing. Other acronyms for BYOD include:
- Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT)
- Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP)
- Bring Your Own PC (BYOPC)
Why Should You Care?
The impetus pushing BYOD is the need for IT self-reliance and compliance between all people in a company. The quick embracing of lightweight tablets, laptops and smartphones are changing the way people want to work. BYOD is a growing phenomenon companies are almost powerless to stop it.
As technology evolves, people evolve along with it, and their working lifestyles change accordingly. The smartest step you can take is to educate yourself on all aspects of BYOD. You need to understand the pros and cons, so you’ll be able to adopt it effectively – and securely.
What is Your Biggest Challenge?
Because most IT departments have so much to do already, they are reluctant to embrace the added responsibilities of BYOD. From their perspective, it is far easier and safer to provide trusted software and hardware to everyone in order to be able to have more control over security and processes. When trying to convince the IT team to accept such a notion, you will need to point out the advantages of BYOD.
More Job Satisfaction
By bringing their own devices, people are more flexible to work when they want, where they want, which increases fulfillment at work. After all, employees already have these devices and understand how to use them efficiently, meaning less time getting them onboard.
Reduces Company Expenditures
Your IT department will not need to buy software licensing and spend time maintaining hardware as a result. In addition, you will not have to purchase an additional tech device for each person in the company. In addition, you won’t have to fund as much employee orientation and training.
Increased Productivity
Employees feel more confident using their own devices, which will naturally enable them to work quickly and efficiently. This makes them more comfortable, boosting self-motivation. Most people upgrade their personal devices often, so your IT department won’t have to keep everyone up-to-date, either.
One Last Word
Due diligence is crucial in a BYOD company-wide policy. Think about the full scope of the situation, like software and files access and security. Android devices are the biggest risk, because the platforms they use vary so much. Because of this, many companies require employees to use iOS devices. No matter what you choose, be certain to get security measures in place to protect you in case anyone’s device is lost, stolen or hacked.