Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) – The argument for and against
Monthly IT Support Update – August 2017
Hi all,
For those of you who work on the financial year, I hope it was a successful one! I can tell you that we’ve been flat out here at Intuitive IT and that there is a very fine balance between busy and too busy (not that everyone agrees there’s such a thing as too busy)!
This month I thought I’d discuss the trend of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) in the workplace and the pros and cons of implementing such a policy from a business point of view.
The upside
I’ll begin by running through the positive aspects of BYOD – most obviously are the upfront savings on equipment purchase and ongoing hardware maintenance, these are shifted to employees. Even if voice and data plans for these devices are subsidised there are still savings to be made.
Secondly, staff training costs can be reduced as staff are using technology they are already familiar with.
Finally, employees are generally happier when they are allowed to use whatever device they like, rather than being given a mandate of ‘You must use this device!’. Happier staff means more productive staff.
The downside
The biggest downside of BYOD is data security. By design, a BYOD device is going to be used both for personal and work purposes, and will not be as rigidly managed as a company device. Managing the security of company data is paramount so having strictly defined policies for access from employee devices is essential.
Another downside is end-user support is made more complex by not having a standard operating environment, this inevitably leads to increased support costs.
Finally, there’s the cost of drafting updated employee policies relating to the use of work resources on a personal device.
If you’re interested in any further information in regards to BYOD, whether technical or business focus, feel free to get in touch.
About the author:
Eden Freeman is Intuitive IT's Director of IT and outsourced IT manager to our clients. Eden's no-nonsense and practical approach to IT Management ensures his clients receive the best possible solutions for their IT needs. Eden works across our many and varied clients, ensuring best practice is implemented from a technology perspective and can communicate risks and ideas to the business at the same time. A unique and highly regarded set of skills that make him invaluable to the IIT team. Contact Eden here
About the author
Eden has over a decade of experience in the IT industry. Working with numerous organisations from a diverse range of industries; education, finance and renewable energy to name a few.
Prior to joining Intuitive IT Eden worked at a top tier Managed Services provider which gave him valuable experience in a wide array of enterprise level technologies and customer environments.