What is BOYD, and why do I care??
BYOD, aka Bring Your Own Device is the “next big thing” for many business IT departments.
Everyone wants to bring their iPhone or Galaxy S3 into work. It used to be that IT departments determined what technology was allowed, but that has changed dramatically in recent years.
Recent changes to how individuals interact with IT, fueled in part by the iPhone, have changed the culture of IT as tech savvy users are focused on having the latest, greatest cutting edge technology. And who wants to leave that at home?
According to wikipedia:
about 90% of employees are already using their own technology (in at least a limited capacity) at work. In most cases, businesses simply can’t block the trend. Some believe that BYOD may help employees be more productive. Others say it increases employee morale and convenience by using their own devices and makes the company look like a flexible and attractive employer.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Users have higher satisfaction if they have the devices they want, be it their new phone, or tablet
- Cost savings – some studies have showed cost savings for departments, as users are paying some of the hardware costs.
- Latest Technology – Because user tend to bring the latest and greatest items, the quality of hardware maay go up.
Cons
- IT departments have acceptabele use policies, and how can they be enforced, when the devices might not use the internal systems such as web proxies and filters?
- Expectations must be defined so users know what activities are allowed.
- Who owns data at work when produced on a user device? Certain regulations (PCI DSS, HIPAA, or GLBA etc) may require specific data safeguarding.
- When a worker leaves, how can company data be separated from user data? Some IT groups require the right to remotely wipe mobile devices for this reason.
These are just a few of the pros and cons of BYOD issues, and upcoming posts will expaand on this important topic.
