Remember the company desk phone? That black box with the annoying red blinking light. It does still exist, however, usage has been declining sharply for years as businesses adopt more reliable alternatives with more features at a lower cost.
The increasingly mobile workforce has prompted businesses to reconsider their phone strategies, programs and policies. Today, the majority of organizations expect employees to be available and reachable by phone or text whenever they are not in the office, even if the employer doesn’t supply their workforce with mobile phones.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is the popular practice of allowing, and even encouraging, employees to use their personal phones for work purposes. One of the challenges organizations must address is that BYOD inherently lacks corporate-level visibility and security controls. Personal devices are more likely to be compromised and have historically caused security concerns for IT and legal departments. Yet, they persist as today’s workforce is more mobile and connected than ever.
BYOD has become the employee-driven standard but workforce managers need new HR management and IT strategies to support them while also managing risk and operational expenses.
President and CEO, Ringer.
The benefits of BYOD
Many advantages are associated with BYOD, including compelling productivity gains as research proves productivity increases when individuals work on platforms they are familiar with. It also improves efficiency and enhances the employee experience by empowering staff to work flexibly, from any location, fostering a better work-life balance.
BYOD can also yield significant cost savings for companies as they can reduce the number of devices, both fixed and mobile, they need to purchase and maintain, which also decreases hardware expenses and associated maintenance costs. Imagine if you no longer had to install and support traditional desktop phones and you no longer deployed company owned mobile devices. It’s easy to imagine the immediate cost, time and resource savings for a business. Overall, BYOD programs support a more agile, productive and cost-effective work environment while catering to the preferences and needs of today’s workforce.
What’s the catch?
While BYOD programs offer several benefits, they can also present some challenges, especially when employees are encouraged to use their own devices, but organizations lack a clear BYOD policy. Managing security on devices is a primary concern for IT departments, legal and CISOs. Without clearly stated and understood guidelines, the risk of corporate data loss or leakage from personal devices is greater as employees may download unsafe applications or content or inadvertently introduce malware. Mobile Device Management (MDM), or its more updated and accurate standard, Enterprise Device Management (EDM), presents some interesting and very effective tools to solve the security challenges faced by employers.
Another issue is the lack of control. One study found that 30% of organizations have zero visibility or control over employees’ mobile messaging. Limited oversight can lead to a gap in compliance and security risks. Unfortunately, when employees text colleagues, partners or customers from their personal devices, businesses typically have no way to monitor this activity. Corporations simply can’t control or secure personal devices, creating a gap in their security strategy.
Privacy and ownership are big sticking points as well. Take, for example, the common occurrence of an employee who has been using their personal phone for work decides to leave the company. Even though the company can disconnect the employee from email and corporate applications, it may also want to remove historical data from the employee’s personal phone. Without clearly defined and communicated BYOD policies, this could turn an otherwise smooth departure into a contentious situation.
Companies need to advance their BYOD programs with uniform policies to avoid these and other difficult situations that come from blurring the boundaries between personal and professional activities on one device.
BYOD factors to consider
Whether starting from scratch or enhancing an existing BYOD program, companies have a wide range of strategies to consider. Foremost among them are the employees’ preferences regarding place of work, schedule and tech tools. This is what drives satisfaction and sets organizations up for success. Armed with this knowledge, leaders can make strategic decisions about their BYOD program that will work best for the company and at the same time address the needs of the workforce.
With employee preferences taken into account, companies also need to consider device compatibility issues to maintain a cohesive and efficient work environment. If employees are installing applications on their phone for work, the IT department must provide support. According to recent cybersecurity surveys, less than a quarter of organizations provide full BYOD support to their employees and some provide no support at all, leaving employees fully responsible for the operation of their devices.
MDM and EDM solutions can be an important part of a BYOD program as they provide visibility into device usage, security and compliance, and enforce company policies to safeguard corporate data. While MDM and EDM were developed to help manage the administration and deployment of company-owned devices, they can also be used simultaneously and installed on personal devices. These are not silver bullets for solving all security, visibility and management challenges, but by pairing other solutions and strategies, MDM and EDM offer several benefits for BYOD programs.
Transparency, security and control are key to establishing successful BYOD programs and policies. As illustrated in the previous example, companies can struggle with seemingly simple aspects of BYOD, like who owns the phone line. Owning and managing the phone line on an employee’s smartphone from the start will help businesses avoid potential issues down the road. Key to the success of these programs is clear communication of the company's BYOD policies, training on security best practices, and ongoing support - all essential elements in fostering a collaborative and secure BYOD environment that meets both company and employee needs.
The modern workplace is more mobile than ever. With hybrid and remote work environments and distributed workforces comes a new set of challenges and opportunities. A universal BYOD program that works for all organizations may not exist. Finding the balance between control and flexibility is a delicate operation but one that will deliver the strongest outcomes. Ultimately, by setting their sights on solutions that drive efficiency and productivity while enhancing the employee experience, organizations can elevate their BYOD program and stay in lockstep with the always-changing workplace dynamics.
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