Research shows
BYOD is steadily growing and with it grows a need for IT organizations to
support this trend. More and more organizations are going mobile and to stay
ahead of the technology curve it is important to provide secure access, through
mobile devices, to enterprise level data. The productivity potential of BYOD is
a point every company must evaluate.
With an increasing
trend in bring your own device (BYOD) there is an equally increasing need to
evaluate the risk and reward of this trend. A study conducted by Cisco states
that average connected devices by knowledge workers were 2.8 in 2012 and are projected
to reach 3.3 by 2014 (Camp, 2012).
Workplaces are being flooded with BYOD and employers are becoming widely more
accepting of this emerging culture (Anonymous,
2013). Gartner predicts that 38% of employers will stop providing
devices to their employees by 2016 and that 50% will require BYOD by 2017 (Rivera, 2013). There is clearly a
need to evaluate this trend. BYOD is increasing productivity by adding 53
minutes of work from workers with mobile access (Anonymous, 2013)
Primarily BYOD is
being assessed on a basis of extensive research and multiple sources.
Throughout many sources the apparent need for BYOD programs is a strongly
recommended. The need for BYOD is widely increasing and it is imperative for
increasing productivity. With the amount of additional work time a BYOD
programs bring to any size corporation it is obvious that this need is a large
point of consideration for many companies. The simple need for BYOD is
imperative to companies that wish to grow and stay ahead and up to date with
the fast advancing world of technology.
Many companies are
rolling out more BYOD programs and expanding current impact. The types of
devices that BYOD programs are supporting have grown rapidly in the last few
years. With that comes the growth in numbers of devices each employee has
connected to enterprise data. The amount of personally owned devices by
employees has driven the need for BYOD. The amount of time and cost savings
have companies ravishing of their BYOD program’s success. With more devices
being connected companies have to supply less of them and user are more
satisfied with their own devices.
Compliance with
National security policies is a leading concern with BYOD and research is
provided with attention to security. Many companies included in my research
have unique approaches to BYOD and provide Enterprise Data Management (EPM) solutions.
The sources are primarily research based and focus on information provided
through surveys and other forms of information gathering. The information that
will be provided in this research will focus on multiple areas but focus
primarily on the need for BYOD, the growth of BYOD and the productivity that
BYOD programs bring.
The ever growing
trend of BYOD brings with it a large market of productivity. The increases in
productivity have large effects on companies evaluating BYOD. Many companies
list that their primary concern is security but the added productivity provides
a nice incentive (). With a clear understanding of the impact that BYOD has to
increase production in mobile workers, the need for BYOD can be more easily
accepted. BYOD adds an average of 53 minutes per day per worker for most
programs and increases exponentially as more individuals are added to the
program. Production increases ultimately add to the bottom line of any company
and when revenues go up, BYOD programs prove their usefulness. Employees with
the ability to access enterprise data outside of the office are connected
without having to be physically present and are essentially connected all the
time. Most programs provide their productivity by allowing workers to complete
and have access to items while they would otherwise be doing nothing else. This
level of extreme connectivity is essential for any BYOD program and is driving
more and more companies to evaluate these programs.
Connected devices
are increasing rapidly as more workers are bringing their own devices into
their work environments. A study
conducted by Cisco states that the average connected devices by knowledge
workers were 2.8 in 2012 and are projected to reach 3.3 by 2014 (Camp, 2012).
With many different devices available to employees there is a large area of
what can be connected to enterprise data. There are tablets, smart phones, and
mobile PCs, and with the increase in cellular data speeds it is incredibly easy
to be constantly connected. Email is the
top access point for BYOD with 91% of companies allowing access to email
(Connection, 2013). The ease of connecting and staying connected is increasing
employee’s desires to connect their personal devices and go mobile. From iPad
to Microsoft Surface the types of devices vary and in today’s world being
constantly connected through multiple devices is not only the norm, it’s a way
of life. Non-Blackberry devices are the leading operating systems for BYOD with
Windows leading iOS by 13% (Connection, 2013). This increase in employee owned
devices is driving BYOD and as more people acquire these devices the scope of
BYOD polices must expand to include more devices.
Employees are not
only supporting BYOD programs, they are heavily encouraging them. Gartner
predicts that 38% of employers will stop providing devices to their employees
by 2016 and that 50% will require BYOD by 2017 (Rivera, 2013). It’s not only
because of the productivity that being mobile provides but the cost savings of
BYOD is highly favorable in most organizations. 58% of companies provide no
reimbursement for using personal devices as part of BYOD (Connection, 2013).
This means that employees are purchasing their own devices and companies do not
have to front the cost of providing this for their workforce.
The overall
profitability of BYOD is largely prevalent in time gained and savings from not
having to purchase employee devices. The amount of access to enterprise level
data only increases productivity; however, with this increase there also comes
a concern of security. Security of data is the leading concern of implementing
a BYOD program (Connection, 2013). While being the leading point of concern for
most companies a wide range of companies have come into the market boasting in
their enterprise level security.
Companies such as
SharePlus, Good, AirWatch, and Apple offer various levels of enterprise level
security. Good is a household name in BYOD and enterprise data security, being
used by 50% of the Fortune 100 companies (Someren, 2009). They focus on
security and are an industry leader in all things BYOD. While there is not only
Good that offers these solutions there are many more that emerge and become
known for their secure applications. With security being the #1 concern of IT
organizations when evaluating BYOD programs, it is important to have the right
company available. SharePlus is just a single part of BYOD and holds the most
user friendly mobile access to an already productive site, SharePoint (Brigman,
2013). Then there is AirWatch that provides an all-encompassing Mobile Device
Management solution (Hein, 2012). There are many ways to deploy a BYOD program
and these many companies make it easier for IT organizations to allow greater
access to more information. Apple is known for its innovation but many would
not realize that they focus on enterprise level security in most their devices.
Apple’s BYOD focus is designed to put security first while still allowing a
user friendly experience (Apple, 2013). The number of companies deploying BYOD
programs is steadily growing because of these companies. 60% of organizations
plan on or are implementing a BYOD strategy, while 19% already have one in
place (Marvin, 2013).Creating a favorable BYOD environment is becoming more of
a necessity in growing organizations.
There are many concerns in allowing enterprise information onto a
non-work issued mobile device but more companies are coming out with
appropriate management software for controlling and containing that
information. BYOD is simply just a must have for any organization.
BYOD is a needed
part if any business and while it grows in acceptance by IT departments and
organizations alike, supporting this trend will only put companies ahead of the
technology curve. The productivity that BYOD brings is the primary selling
point of any BYOD program and it’s clear that evaluating this program in any
company is a must. Employers are embracing BYOD and continue to allow more
access to enterprise level data on mobile devices. The amount of mobile devices
owned per employee is increasing and giving access to all these devices is what
BYOD is for (Lengyel, 2013). This increase and acceptance is causing BYOD to
thrive and any organization would be fooling for not implementing their own
program. There is potential to increase
productivity and keep enterprise data secure with the right BYOD policy. With
the growing BYOD market, companies need to put in place their own solution
before their employees find their own way.
Hein, R. (2012, July 11). 7 Reasons to use airwatch for mobile device
management. Retrieved from
http://www.cio.com/article/710540/7_Reasons_to_Use_AirWatch_for_Mobile_Device_Management
Someren, N. (2009). Good technology. Retrieved from
http://www.crunchbase.com/company/good-technology
Marvin, C. (2013). Good collaboration suite.
Retrieved from http://www1.good.com/applications/collaboration-suite
Lengyel, C. (2013). Managing devices in your
organization?. Retrieved from http://www.air-watch.com/
Apple, I. (2013). Bring your own device.
Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/ipad/business/it-center/byod.html
Brigman, Z. (2013). Shareplus
enterprise. Retrieved from http://www.shareplusapp.com/
Connection, P. (2013). 2013 outlook on technology: Byod
survey results. Retrieved from
http://www.pcconnection.com/~/media/PDFs/Brands/C/Cisco/Survey/25029_Cisco_BYODSurvey_PCC.pdf
Anonymous. (2013). Byod by the numbers. Retrieved
from http://www.itclips.net/2013/03/26/byod-by-the-numbers-infographic
Rivera, J. (2013, May 01). Gartner
predicts by 2017, half of employers will require employees to supply their own
device for work purposes. Enterprises
That Offer Only Corporate-Liable Programs Will Soon Be the Exception,
Retrieved from http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2466615
Camp, R. (2012, May 16). Cisco study: It
saying yes to byod. Cisco
Advances Mobility Strategy With new Enterprise ‘Smart Solutions,' Building on
Service Provider Offerings and Enabling ‘Your Way’ Experiences. Retrieved
from http://newsroom.cisco.com/press-release-content?articleId=854754
