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The Ultimate List of BYOD Policy Pros and Cons

24th August 2020 Tips

How do you decide if a Bring Your Own Device or BYOD policy is right for your business? More and more employees are attracted to working remotely or on their own devices. And doing so can positively impact productivity and efficiency. But can your business handle such a policy? Here we list down key BYOD pros and cons to keep in mind when your business decides to implement a BYOD policy.

Pros and Cons of a BYOD Policy

Before we delve into the advantages and disadvantages of a BYOD policy, let’s first have a look at what is a BYOD policy. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) refers to a business practice where employers let employees use their own devices and tools for work-related purposes. A bring your own devices policy can be based on:

  • Employees using their devices with or without IT control
  • Use of devices with limited or no local storage
  • Use of devices for non-sensitive tasks

With growing remote-working trends, the need for a BYOD policy seems more and more prevalent. Such a policy ensures that business continues even in the middle of a pandemic where employees work outside of the office.

However, as with any new policy, one must consider the pros and cons of a BYOD policy before committing. Let’s have a look at why you should implement a Bring Your Own Device work practice.

Pros of a BYOD Policy

So, why are more and more businesses considering adopting a BYOD policy? Here are some major advantages of letting employees bring their own devices to work:

  • Employees get to work with devices they are more comfortable with.
  • Employees can use tools and apps of their choice to improve productivity.
  • No learning or training is required to use devices.
  • Cost-savings for the company; there is less need to purchase or replace technology.
  • Greater remote working opportunities.
  • Flexibility in terms of where, when, and how to work.

Cons of a BYOD Policy

While the advantages of implementing a BYOD policy can seal the deal, there are a few important disadvantages to be aware of:

  • Possibly blurring the line between work and personal lives; who will be responsible for repairs or new purchases?
  • Need for strict control so employees do not use or misuse privileged information and data.
  • Employees may not have their own devices or high-quality devices.
  • Higher security risks.
  • The potential loss of company data and privacy when an employee leaves.
  • Complex and experienced IT team required to integrate devices and operating systems.

Is a Bring Your Own Device Policy Right for Your Business?

So, now that you know the pros and cons for BYOD, how do you decide if this policy is right for you? Such a policy can greatly impact productivity and reduce costs. However, there are risks that cannot be ignored. The solution then is to create a policy that addresses the risks and includes solutions to combat them. For example:

  • Use MDM software to separate data.
  • Define parameters and rules for device use.
  • Monitor device use.
  • Consider using a virtual phone system to stay connected from any location and device.
  • Decide who will be responsible for repair or replacement costs, and so on.

Having these factors decided beforehand will ensure a smooth and successful implementation of the policy.

That aside, a BYOD policy may seem more fit for small businesses than large corporations. Before making a commitment, think of different ways such a policy can impact your business and employee productivity. Also, consider remote-working as a trend and attraction for new employees. If BYOD is right for you, take time to create a solid policy that addresses your primary concerns!

8 Key Points That Any Bring Your Own Device Policy Must Have

17th August 2020 Learn, Sales

The rise and comfort of remote working have led to employers considering the different ways to allow remote working without losing employee productivity. In this post, we will look at Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy and what important elements to include when creating one.

Building an Effective BYOD Policy: 8 Key Points

A Bring Your Own Device or BYOD policy refers to the work policy of allowing employees to use their own devices instead of company-sponsored ones. This policy is known to make employees more productive and efficient as they would be using devices and applications they are familiar with. Furthermore, such a policy paves the way for an easy switch to remote working, if need be. Lastly, it can also help companies save on yearly costs that would otherwise be spent on purchasing and maintaining equipment.

Here are some important elements and rules to keep in mind when creating your own Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, as suggested by IBM Security:

1. Create Policy First: Then Purchase Technology

The first step is to start creating your BYOD policy before purchasing any technology, even mobile device management or MDM tech. BYOD policies affect almost every team or department in the office: IT, HR, legal, security, and employees using the devices. Therefore, rules of use should be determined beforehand.

The Most Important BYOD Policy Factors to Consider:

When creating your BYOD policy, consider the following factors:

  • What devices will be supported and accepted for use? Who determines device use, employer or employee?
  • Who will pay for data usage? Will there be a stipend or will the employee be responsible for expenses?
  • What security measures will be implemented?
  • What apps will be allowed and which ones forbidden?
  • What resources and services can employees access on their devices?
  • What data will be collected from the employee’s device?
  • What will your Acceptable Usage Agreement (AUA) consist of?

2. Plan to Keep Personal Info Private and Separate from Company Data

Since a BYOD policy allows employees to use their own devices and apps, it is important to pay attention to privacy. Big data is so large that it’s raising privacy and ethical issues for major corporations around the world. In this case, keeping personal information private and separate from the company’s data is necessary.

Make your privacy laws easily accessible and help your employees and users understand what data will and will not be collected from them. For example, personal emails, contacts, text messages, call history, etc. Furthermore, help them understand why you are collecting what you are collecting and how it benefits them.

The next step is to keep personal and professional data separate. Important and valuable corporate data, documents, and other files must be protected by your IT team. This is helpful in the case of an employee leaving the company; IT can quickly wipe information from the employee’s devices and keep company data safe.

3. Decide How to Manage Data Usage

Whether or not you are paying for the plan, you will want the managers or the users to be able to track how much data they are using. Furthermore, you will want to be upfront about in-network and roaming charges while also tracking them or providing warnings for excessive use.

Make sure users understand how the data plan works and how to effectively use data. There should be a system of checks and balances. Use data to elevate employees, not penalize them. Help them understand the importance of WiFi and to use it whenever available.

4. Make Enrollment Simple

Use technology that is user-friendly, simple, and does not involve complex procedures. Include instructions and troubleshooting advice in your emails or text messages. Also, let them know who they can connect with in case they encounter an issue.

Make the enrolling of devices and users secure and easy to follow. For example, users may receive an email or text link. When they click on this link, they will be led to a webpage where they can register their MDM profile for a device. Here, they will also be able to read and accept the user agreement.

You want to be able to quickly enroll devices — even in bulk — while providing users the ability to enroll themselves. You can add a layer of security by enabling a basic one-click authentication method.

5. Offer Self-Serving Options

One of the main advantages of a BYOD policy is the ability to reduce the time spent on troubleshooting or contacting the help desk. For this, you want to help your employees or users help themselves. Easy passcode recovery, geo-locating for locating lost devices, being able to quickly wipe a device to protect corporate data, and so on, are a few ways to help employees as well as your business while ensuring efficiency throughout the processes.

6. Enable Easy Configuration

An important part of successfully running a BYOD policy is being able to configure devices quickly and easily. The best solution is configuring devices over-the-air for optimization. Your platform or system should give the employee everything they need such as access to email, contacts, WiFi, VPN, relevant documents, apps, virtual phone numbers, etc. You may even make a note of applications that are unacceptable or include data usage warnings.

7. Monitor Devices for Usage

Now that you know how much data will be allowed and the stipend or budget allotted for usage, monitor your employees’ usage to ensure they do not go beyond the allocated amount. Furthermore, monitor how they are using their data. Some circumstances to watch for:

  • Attempting to disable management
  • Attempting to jailbreak or root a phone to get paid apps for free
  • Not complying with the security policy
  • Using apps that are not allowed or unaccepted within the policy

Some ways to battle devices that do not comply with your BYOD policy is to use your MDM solution to selectively to wipe their devices or to send warning messages. You may also choose to make additional adjustments based on what you are seeing.

8. Using Call Forwarding for Communication

Lastly, BYOD policies work very well along with call forwarding. A call forwarding service allows users to use their devices to make and receive business calls. You can use call forwarding to keep your team or office connected even when they are working from home or traveling. This way, your employees are reachable through inexpensive communication while continuing to be productive.

Create Your BYOD Policy Now

Keeping the above points in mind, take time and consideration when creating a Bring Your Own Device policy for your workplace. For call forwarding services or to learn how call forwarding can support BYOD, call us or chat with our experts today!