The BYOD movement
You’re geared up for another day at the office. This is not any other day; two new hires are starting work, a sales manager and an IT engineer. You’ve been contemplating the time and expenditure associated with incumbent employees. Induction, training, insurance and salaries are all part of the deal. One thing you don’t need to lose sleep over is providing mobile technology for your team members. They’ll use their personal devices for work, whether you like it or not. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is firmly lodged in the business culture of the world as we know it.
In the technology oriented society of today, everybody wants the latest device, whether it be the new iPhone, Android smartphone, laptop or tablet. Last year’s tech is old news; people almost habitually will upgrade simply to say they have what’s trendy now.
There’s more to this than keeping up with the Jones’s. Anybody who has just acquired the latest technology doesn’t want to be saddled with an outmoded device provided by their employer. Hence, businesses have little option but to implement BYOD. The long and the short is that personal devices now have access to company files, email servers, client data and applications.
There are many advantages of BYOD, but the movement has also brought with it a plethora of potential risks. But first, maybe you should consider the pros of BYOD.
BYOD pros
The advantages of BYOD fall into four main categories: increased productivity, reduced costs, content employees and enhanced customer service.
Increased productivity
Gone are the days of being confined to a workstation or designated cubicle. BYOD means that your staff can access company data anywhere and at any time. Tasks can be carried out with equal efficiency from home, a coffee shop, on the Tube and in the office. Personal devices used for work purposes means greater worker flexibility and consequently an increase in productivity.
Cost reduction
New technology doesn’t come cheap. A new iPhone 8 will set you back £800; the least expensive MacBook comes in at around £900. When your employees foot the bill, your company is making enormous savings. If so inclined, you may offer to pay part of a team member’s monthly mobile contract. That depends on the level of generosity you wish to extend.
Content employees
Recent studies confirm that in excessive of 40% of people seeking employment favour companies that promote BYOD and remote working. So having BYOD in place immediately puts you in a position of strength over your competition when it comes to recruitment. Furthermore, a survey conducted by Fortune revealed that employees are happier using technology they are familiar with at work. A 20-country survey done by the network security firm Fortinet stated that 55% of employees aged 25-31 would circumvent any company policy prohibiting the use of personal devices for work purposes.
Improved customer service
Better customer or client service is mirrored by improved flexibility and productivity. Mobile and remote working employees are often able to resolve or address urgent client issues out of office hours. All customers are results driven. The quicker the turnaround, the happier your client, and the likelihood of retaining their custom is increased.
BYOD cons
While there are many downsides to BYOD, you would benefit by considering the four main culprits: compromised data, employee privacy, handling employee turnover, and applying a Mobile Device Management (MDM) tool.
Data security
Allowing your team members to use their own devices means that your network and sensitive client data is at an increased risk of being in jeopardy. To minimise the prospect of a breach, you will need to enforce a comprehensive BYOD security policy. Ensure that your employees understand all aspects of the policy and that they are cognisant of the consequences of noncompliance.
Employee privacy
Some employees will not take to the idea of BYOD. By design, personal devices are for personal use; people access social media platforms, do online banking plus a host of other internet based activities. Access to web-based accounts almost always requires a password, usually stored on a phone, laptop or tablet. In this age of paranoia relating to internet surveillance, some employees may conclude that their employer is spying on the web habits, and will have access to personal data, files and other information.
Employee turnover
How will you retrieve company data and documents should an employer resign or be dismissed? As part of your BYOD policy, you may want to stipulate that company files can only be edited and saved on your network server or on cloud-based software such as Dropbox. This will give you more control over where your data is. Also, this will avoid wiping personal devices of data; employees won’t be alarmed at the possibility of their own files being erased when they leave the company.
Using MDM tools
For obvious reasons, you need to monitor all devices accessing your network, data and applications. MDM tools will centralise the surveillance of personal devices and their operating systems. All devices will be configured, deployed and managed in line with your BYOD policy. At the same time, your data and applications are secure across multiple devices.
You and BYOD
BYOD is part of your company’s M.O, or soon will be. You know the benefits and understand the shortcomings. By implementing a BYOD strategy that works for you, your employees, and that ensures the integrity of your data and network, you’ll significantly reduce IT expenditure and see a boost in productivity and profitability.
24/7 MAC & PC SUPPORT
With our unique zero minute response, direct-to-engineer support model we have a 99.9% client retention rate since 2006.
With face to face strategy and account management, we are a trusted extension of your business. We remove the blame shifting culture, by dealing with third-party providers on your behalf and provide simplified jargon-free solutions at predictable rates with our flat free unlimited support and services model.
Some of our clients include Edmond De Rothschild, Smart Meter GB and FMB.
#ZheroIT
#weloveIT
High IT Cost? #ZheroIT
Cyber Security Concern? #ZheroIT
The BYOD movement
You’re geared up for another day at the office. This is not any other day; two new hires are starting work, a sales manager and an IT engineer. You’ve been contemplating the time and expenditure associated with incumbent employees. Induction, training, insurance and salaries are all part of the deal. One thing you don’t need to lose sleep over is providing mobile technology for your team members. They’ll use their personal devices for work, whether you like it or not. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is firmly lodged in the business culture of the world as we know it.
In the technology oriented society of today, everybody wants the latest device, whether it be the new iPhone, Android smartphone, laptop or tablet. Last year’s tech is old news; people almost habitually will upgrade simply to say they have what’s trendy now.
There’s more to this than keeping up with the Jones’s. Anybody who has just acquired the latest technology doesn’t want to be saddled with an outmoded device provided by their employer. Hence, businesses have little option but to implement BYOD. The long and the short is that personal devices now have access to company files, email servers, client data and applications.
There are many advantages of BYOD, but the movement has also brought with it a plethora of potential risks. But first, maybe you should consider the pros of BYOD.
BYOD pros
The advantages of BYOD fall into four main categories: increased productivity, reduced costs, content employees and enhanced customer service.
Increased productivity
Gone are the days of being confined to a workstation or designated cubicle. BYOD means that your staff can access company data anywhere and at any time. Tasks can be carried out with equal efficiency from home, a coffee shop, on the Tube and in the office. Personal devices used for work purposes means greater worker flexibility and consequently an increase in productivity.
Cost reduction
New technology doesn’t come cheap. A new iPhone 8 will set you back £800; the least expensive MacBook comes in at around £900. When your employees foot the bill, your company is making enormous savings. If so inclined, you may offer to pay part of a team member’s monthly mobile contract. That depends on the level of generosity you wish to extend.
Content employees
Recent studies confirm that in excessive of 40% of people seeking employment favour companies that promote BYOD and remote working. So having BYOD in place immediately puts you in a position of strength over your competition when it comes to recruitment. Furthermore, a survey conducted by Fortune revealed that employees are happier using technology they are familiar with at work. A 20-country survey done by the network security firm Fortinet stated that 55% of employees aged 25-31 would circumvent any company policy prohibiting the use of personal devices for work purposes.
Improved customer service
Better customer or client service is mirrored by improved flexibility and productivity. Mobile and remote working employees are often able to resolve or address urgent client issues out of office hours. All customers are results driven. The quicker the turnaround, the happier your client, and the likelihood of retaining their custom is increased.
BYOD cons
While there are many downsides to BYOD, you would benefit by considering the four main culprits: compromised data, employee privacy, handling employee turnover, and applying a Mobile Device Management (MDM) tool.
Data security
Allowing your team members to use their own devices means that your network and sensitive client data is at an increased risk of being in jeopardy. To minimise the prospect of a breach, you will need to enforce a comprehensive BYOD security policy. Ensure that your employees understand all aspects of the policy and that they are cognisant of the consequences of noncompliance.
Employee privacy
Some employees will not take to the idea of BYOD. By design, personal devices are for personal use; people access social media platforms, do online banking plus a host of other internet based activities. Access to web-based accounts almost always requires a password, usually stored on a phone, laptop or tablet. In this age of paranoia relating to internet surveillance, some employees may conclude that their employer is spying on the web habits, and will have access to personal data, files and other information.
Employee turnover
How will you retrieve company data and documents should an employer resign or be dismissed? As part of your BYOD policy, you may want to stipulate that company files can only be edited and saved on your network server or on cloud-based software such as Dropbox. This will give you more control over where your data is. Also, this will avoid wiping personal devices of data; employees won’t be alarmed at the possibility of their own files being erased when they leave the company.
Using MDM tools
For obvious reasons, you need to monitor all devices accessing your network, data and applications. MDM tools will centralise the surveillance of personal devices and their operating systems. All devices will be configured, deployed and managed in line with your BYOD policy. At the same time, your data and applications are secure across multiple devices.
You and BYOD
BYOD is part of your company’s M.O, or soon will be. You know the benefits and understand the shortcomings. By implementing a BYOD strategy that works for you, your employees, and that ensures the integrity of your data and network, you’ll significantly reduce IT expenditure and see a boost in productivity and profitability.
24/7 MAC & PC SUPPORT
With our unique zero minute response, direct-to-engineer support model we have a 99.9% client retention rate since 2006.
With face to face strategy and account management, we are a trusted extension of your business. We remove the blame shifting culture, by dealing with third-party providers on your behalf and provide simplified jargon-free solutions at predictable rates with our flat free unlimited support and services model.
Some of our clients include Edmond De Rothschild, Smart Meter GB and FMB.
#ZheroIT
#weloveIT
High IT Cost? #ZheroIT
Cyber Security Concern? #ZheroIT
