MIST 7500 - Fall 2013 Executive Summary 2: BYOD

Handheld devices and laptops become more ubiquitous in our personal lives. In theory, employees that bring these devices into the workplace (BYOD) may seem like an innovative idea that could potentially make them more productive. In reality, this could lead to more problems for the company and the employees.

Potential opportunities
• Reduced up-front costs to the company. The individual is purchasing the device with their own money.
• More access to the employee. They are no longer tied down to an office phone and desktop PC.
• Potential for employee to be more productive because they are using a device of their choosing. The average person feels comfort in learning one device.

Challenges to adapt
• The company won’t benefit from the reduced costs of buying a bulk quantity of devices and bundling the data and voice packages.
• The company is paying for personal data and voice usage as well.
• Security issues may arise because these devices are being used outside the office environment.
• The IT Department will have to be familiar with a multitude of devices, rather than a core manufacturer, make and model.
• Employee could find it hard to “disconnect” from work and could lead to mental “burn-out”.
• Because this is an individual’s personal device, it is unclear what the legal ramifications are in regards to an employee’s privacy and the company’s trade secrets.

The negatives and overall cost currently outweigh the potential productivity gains from BYOD. Until the platforms become more uniform (allowing for easier management of security) and better services emerge that can track the actual corporate data and voice usage (for billing purposes), it would be best to maintain the current strategy of one-source devices and vendors.