Bring your Own Device?

The world is in the grips of a Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, revolution. This innovative workplace model allows employees to use their own devices, including smartphones, laptops, and tablets, for professional purposes. It’s a smart way for businesses to slash their technology costs and appease an increasingly tech-savvy workforce. However, despite some big benefits, implementing BYOD solutions comes with some significant challenges.

Many of the challenges stem from one key problem: a lack of regulation. While half of businesses say it’s important to register personal devices used for professional purposes, only 32 percent require it. Close to 18 percent of employees surveyed said they take tech devices to work, unbeknownst to their IT department. More than 28 percent of IT departments also turn a blind eye to unregulated use of personal devices in the office. With such unregulated use, how can businesses hope to resolve the challenges that a BYOD policy brings?

Simply implementing formal BYOD devices, clearly stating what employees and employers can and cannot do would solve some problems. For example, without a BYOD policy, employees with an Apple iPhone 6s Plus on T-Mobile may snap images of their workplace on their phone’s high-resolution camera, then use their fast 4G connection to post them to Facebook. They’d be less likely to make this mistake and compromise workplace security if their company had a clear BYOD policy indicating smartphone cameras should be disabled in the office. Discover more about the BYOD revolution and what it means for you and the business world in the infographic below.