The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend is one to watch. A
recent Gartner report predicts that about half of all global companies will
migrate to a BYOD policy over the next 4 to 5 years. The report also suggests many
of those companies will no longer provide computing devices to employees
(Kanaracus, 2013). This trend is clearly coming, but it's worth considering the
implications from both sides.
Chief among those considerations is maintenance and
security. For corporations, this means providing at least some level of support
for a vast array of devices. Whether it's as simple as troubleshooting
connectivity problems or more complex problems with operating systems or
hardware failures, having employees using their own devices rather than a
standard configuration increases demands on support. Virus prevention is
another concern, although not as complex if the company chooses to push virus
updates out to devices connecting to corporate resources. Security becomes a risk. Virus prevention is only part of the security picture. If employees
are using their own devices and connecting to multiple networks with the same
device, it opens the possibility that corporate data stored on a personal
device can be compromised.
Cloud computing can solve some of the security concerns, of
course. Storing and accessing resources in the cloud can limit the volume of
corporate data stored on personal computing devices. Cloud computing still has
a way to go, however, to be fully reliable for mass scale access. As cloud
computing becomes more reliable and prevalent, some of the data access concerns
will decrease.
From the personal standpoint, many employees may welcome
the option to use their own device. Throughout my career, I've always been
either a full-time or part-time consultant, and thus have kept my own
technology updated. During times when I've been a captive employee, my personal
computing devices have almost always been more high tech than what my employer
offered. Still, using one's own device for the benefit of a captive employer
raises concerns about mixing business and personal use on a single device.
Employers should be concerned about this as well. Using a single device for
both purposes can blur the lines between business and personal. Of course,
productivity is really what matters, but employers need to ensure they have
clear processes and metrics for gauging business accomplishments. From the
personal side, concerns arise about allowing the employer to access the
computing assets. Furthermore, the possibility exists that personal data could
be lost if the employer decides to reconfigure a device for whatever reason.
Again, cloud computing and regular backups can guard against this danger. Compensation for using a personal device is also a concern. A BYOD policy
pushes responsibility for purchasing and maintaining computing assets onto the
employee; employers must be prepared to offer at least some remuneration for
this convenience (Kanaracus, 2013).
What is your opinion of BYOD? Do you have reservations about
it? Or is your attitude, "Bring it on?"
Reference
Kanaracus, C. (2013, May 1). Half of companies will require
BYOD by 2017, Gartner says. CIO.
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http://www.cio.com/article/732649/Half_of_Companies_Will_Require_BYOD_By_2017_Gartner_Says
