BYOD Environment
Are you thinking about transitioning to a BYOD environment? BYOD is short for “bring your own device.” Your employees can access company data through their own personal devices such as mobile phones and tablets. A BYOD environment has many advantages for small business owners, but it isn’t without its disadvantages.
BYOD Advantages
A BYOD environment shifts costs from the employer to the employees. This provides a tremendous savings – as much as $100 per month, per employee. Another great benefit is that employees tend to upgrade their devices more often. There is less worry about having to upgrade devices that are lacking in features that employees need to work remotely. This is a plus when you consider the costs and hassles of upgrading company-owned devices. Employee satisfaction is another benefit. Job satisfaction improves when employees can use devices they prefer.
BYOD Disadvantages
Security is a huge concern in bring-your-own-device environments. What happens when an employee leaves or if their device is lost or stolen? How do you retrieve company data from an employee who is let go? It is difficult to create a security policy for personal devices. However, having one in place is essential. Be sure to define expectations as well as minimum security requirements.
Make the Transition Easier
Many small business owners transition to a BYOD environment by soliciting the expertise of IT services for small business. An IT service which specializes in BYOD can handle all of the security issues related to mobile devices. They can monitor and manage all of the mobile devices that have access to your network. New users to your mobile network are automatically configured through remote management. GPS tracking allows remote removal of company data from any lost or stolen device.
Despite the challenges involved with a BYOD set-up, your business can still benefit. You’ll have access to the latest technology without all of the associated expense.
Contact us today to learn how our BYOD management solutions enable you and your employees to use personal smartphones and tablets without compromising your company data.