Weighing the Impact of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Businesses large and small are looking for the most effective way to develop a safe and secure BYOD policy for their workers. This trend is sweeping not only tech workplaces, but across industries. BYOD stands for “Bring Your Own Device.” The general gist of it is that employees will bring personal devices, such as laptops, tablets, and smart phones, and use them for work. While BYOD is still very controversial, companies have found that there are some serious pros (and cons) when it comes to allowing employees to use their own devices.

Some advantages of allowing BYOD in the workplace:

• Employees don’t have to learn a new platform that they aren’t familiar with
• Employers save money on buying devices and services
• Employees work more when they are comfortable with their device
• Data can easily be transferred across multiple devices

Possible negative impacts of BYOD:

• Employees are left with the cost if the device is damaged or needs an update
• Mobile device security is still developing
• Theft or loss of a device could result in the loss of critical data if the proper security measures weren’t taken
• If an employer leaves the company, there could still be critical data on the device

So, what does that mean for your company?

VMware is developing mobile software for personal devices that creates two different personas: one for work and one for personal use. This product integrates with vSphere, improving security and compliance while allowing the worker to access data from any location on any qualified device without breaching company information. Users will be able to switch seamlessly between the “dual personas” on the device, work and personal. The two personas are completely separate, with no transference of data, sure to be a relief for both employer and employee.

If using a personal device still sounds a bit too risky, there is an alternative to BYOD that is growing in popularity. It is called BYOA, and stands for “Bring Your Own Apps.” Employers are encouraging the use of cloud apps such as Evernote, Drop Box, Google Drive, etc. BYOA is a stepping stone in the direction of company based application stores, where the company would have unique apps and therefore control security and data recovery settings. According to recent Gartner research, approximately 25% of all enterprises will have their own app store within the next five years. A corporate centric app store, personalized for each company and paired with a mobile management solution, is a perfect fix for the BYOD IT market.

Posted By: Kelley O'Hare