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What is BYOD?
BYOD, or bring your own device, is a corporate policy that empowers employees to be more mobile — to make their world their office. Put simply, BYOD encourages use of personal devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops and wearables) to access enterprise data from anywhere. BYOD policies can range from relaxed to restrictive:
1. Users are given unlimited access to all corporate resources.
2. Access is granted for only non-sensitive systems and data.
3. IT is allowed selective control over the personal device, such as apps and data.
4. A corporate persona or container is used to restrict data storage on the personal device.
Why does an enterprise need BYOD?
Increased productivity
When an employee can use their personal device, you empower them to do their best work in and out of the office. Users are provided a level of comfort in accessing work data on a personal device, allowing them to integrate work into their daily routine.
Cost reductions
BYOD programs can have the added benefit of saving budget by shifting hardware costs to the user — no more bulk purchases of smartphones or tablets and no more trying to get them back.
Employee trust
To drive maximum BYOD adherence, employees need to know that you are protecting their personal use and privacy with your end user license agreement and the tools to enforce it.
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Four steps to BYOD success
Plan
Determine who will get access, and on which devices. Figure out how to best allow access and understand what data should and should not be accessible. Not crafting a policy invites risk — BYOD will happen, and it can end up being a free-for-all.
Secure and manage
A comprehensive UEM solution like MaaS360 can not only secure apps and data on a personal device but provide analytics and mobile threat defense to make sure no employee is bringing a risky or compromised device into your environment.
Communicate your BYOD policy
Stolen personal devices are a well-known cause of damaging data breaches and you need to make the rules, safeguards and consequences clear. Communicate the risks, best practices, and what employees can and cannot access.
Support
Users are familiar with their personal devices, but BYOD can create confusion around app and data access. A strong rollout strategy and well-supported UEM solution — like MaaS360 — can alleviate user and admin concerns around adoption difficulties.