Over the past several years, bring your own device policies have been growing in popularity in a variety of workplaces. These workplace rules allow employees to utilize their own laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other electronic devices for work. While this can be a boon to your employees’ morale and your bottom line, there are significant risks when implementing a bring your own device (BYOD) policy. If you’re considering establishing one in your office, it is important to take the time to weigh the pros and cons of BYOD policies.
Pros of BYOD Policies at Work
When considering the pros and cons of Bring Your Own Device to work policies, it’s important to understand that there are a plethora of advantages to having them—advantages that can simplify your business. BYOD policies can streamline IT operations and save your business a lot of money in IT costs by allowing employees to bring their own computers, tablets, and mobile devices. Your employees will be footing most, if not all, of the bill for the hardware, data services, and similar expenses. With a BYOD policy, your company could save up to $80 per month, per employee.
As an employer, you may worry that this may disgruntle employees, but this is not necessarily the case. Many employees love BYOD policies even if they have to pay the costs. The reason?
They get to use their preferred devices with their preferred settings. For example, say one of your employees prefers Windows 7 as an operating system. However, your company exclusively uses Windows 10 or Apple devices. Faced with a technology they are not used to and may dislike working on, the employee can easily become frustrated with the system…unless there is a BYOD policy. In this case, your employee has the option to bring in their Windows 7 laptop to work. They are much happier working on this system, so much so that they are willing to pay the personal costs associated to use it. This is a demonstration of how BYOD policies can actually increase employee satisfaction.
Additionally, BYOD policies give companies an edge in terms of technology. The costs of updating old computers on a large scale can be overwhelming and prohibitive, making it difficult for companies to stay up-to-date. Oftentimes, by the time the company is able to upgrade their tech, the new systems are already a step behind. However, consumers are more likely to upgrade their devices on a regular basis. Companies with a BYOD policy can take advantage of this fact as their employees can be working on faster, better systems than they might be if their company supplied the devices.
Cons of BYOD Policies at Work
The biggest issue that concerns companies regarding BYOD policies is security. When a company supplies its own IT hardware and software, the company can then protect its systems with uniform, verified security measures that the company maintains and trusts. This is not as easy when an employee is using a personal laptop or device for work. If this is a concern for your company, you should outline the rules for company data use and security measures that are required in order to use a personal device for work.
The question of data security, policy compliance, and ownership can also become a problem with BYOD policies. There must be a failsafe way for companies to separate, identify, and retrieve company data from a personal computer, especially in cases where an employee leaves the company. Another security concern to consider is that it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to ensure that a laptop device used for work does not synchronize data to a different computer, cloud, or other storage location outside of the office environment.
Is a BYOD policy the right choice for Your Business?
BYOD policies have their pros and cons, but is a bring your own device policy right for your business? The experts at Customer 1st Communications can consult with you to determine if this IT policy works for your business. In addition, we can put security protocols in place on your cloud and data centers to minimize security risks associated with BYOD policies. For more information or a free consultation, contact us here.
