BYOD Risks, Challenges and Solutions. The primary challenges companies face when it comes to BYOD and how these challenges can be handled effectively.
Contents Introduction.... 3 Primary Bring Your Own Device Challenges.... 3 Enable Workers to Securely Accomplish Business Tasks.... 4 Managing Multiple Device Types and Operating Systems... 5 Managing IT Administration Responsibility... 5 Implementing BYOD Policies to Control Device Usage.... 6 Delivering Support for a Diverse Array of Mobile Devices.... 7 Conclusion.... 7 About Complex IT.... 8 Contact us to find out more.... 8
Introduction. Bring Your Own Device is a new trend that has touched most organisations around the globe and is changing the way devices are being used in the workplace environment. According to a recent study called Building the Business Case for BYOD by Forrester Research, a leading global research and advisory firm, four out of every five employees prefer to use their own device in the workplace. Gartner, a leading information technology research and advisory company, predicts half of employers will require employees to bring their own device to the workplace by 2017. Whether or not the device is owned by the employee or the company is of not much concern since Bring Your Own Device programs technically do not present any more network challenges than mobile devices provided by a company. However, when you look at BYOD on a larger scale, implementing BYOD in the workplace with a wide variety of devices can create many challenges which must be handled properly in order for a BYOD program to be successful. Because today s workers demand more flexibility and freedom when it comes to how, where, and when they access business applications and data, consumer devices can be an attractive and cost effective way to increase employee motivation while reducing costs. However, in order to enjoy the full benefits of BYOD, your company must fully address the challenges in order to determine viable solutions for successful implementation of Bring Your Own Device. In this article we will discuss some of the primary challenges companies face when it comes to BYOD, along with how these challenges can be handled effectively. Primary Bring Your Own Device Challenges. Ever changing platforms, operating systems, and hardware all lead up to one thing all companies must face: mobility is revolutionising business operations and is not going away any time too soon. And, along with ever changing technology comes a series of challenges and hurdles businesses must overcome to benefit from the improved business agility, increased productivity, and better customer service posed by enterprise mobility. Organisations that are part of an industry with strict regulations such as health care, finance and government have been limiting mobile device use to company owned devices only. However, the growing trend of BYOD is gradually making its way into these industries. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are a small number of organisations currently in the process of implementing BYOD companywide, which allows their workforce to access business data and applications from their own tablets, laptops, and smartphones. Then you have the organisations that implement Bring Your Own Device programs to specific portion of their company. Currently, the last category is where most organisations that implement BYOD are. According to the International Data Group (IDG), a leading US technology research organisation, more than fifty percent of companies that allow BYOD authorise between one and twenty percent of their workforce to use personal devices in the workplace. This means there is still plenty of room for expansion as companies overcome BYOD challenges.
At first, it can appear to be complex and overwhelming for companies to address challenges and implementation of new technologies that support change in the workplace environment. However, it does not have to be this way. Let s review some of the common challenges and how they can be mitigated. Enable Workers to Securely Accomplish Business Tasks. Security is the biggest concern with most organisations and the primary reason why they are reluctant to implement BYOD. When business data mingles with personal data on an employeeowned device, this raises a myriad of concerns. Some employees fail to keep their devices updated which increases the possibility of exploits and vulnerabilities. Additionally, applications that have been downloaded on a user s personal device may contain malware that can make its way into a company network. For example, a specific productivity app download may be designed to access another app such as a calendar and other applications. When used in conjunction with company network access both the employee s data and business data can be at risk. This leaves a lot of IT professionals and decisions makers wondering how they can enable their workforce without jeopardising data and network security. Many companies work with a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution to provide data encryption combined with containerisation. The term containerisation refers to technologies that allow a personal device to use a separate workspace that keeps work tasks separated from personal tasks. The separate workspace utilises military grade encryption practices to protect important documents, sensitive information, intellectual property, and business applications. Encryption also protects data transmission to and from your company server as well. When the user wants to switch between the company workspace and a personal workspace this typically involves a single tap or gesture. Containerisation is typically implemented in the operating system as opposed to over it. This provides for an end-to-end management strategy for each device using compatible technology for specific devices and operating systems.
Managing Multiple Device Types and Operating Systems. The notion of managing multiple device types with different operating systems represents another monumental challenge for many companies. One of the main advantages of a Bring Your Own Device program is allowing company employees to choose which device they want to use. The number of choices are rapidly expanding as new device types and operating systems are introduced to the market as frequently as every few months. Although it is possible to conduct a survey within your organisation to determine which operating systems are the most frequently used, the fact still remains that multiple devices and platforms will require support. This means you must come up with a solution that can accommodate a diverse inventory of devices. To bring management of a diverse selection of devices under control, many companies opt to use a Mobile Device Management solution that is capable of managing multiple devices and platforms. In this case, it is important to select an MDM solution that allows IT to manage the current devices and platforms, in addition to those devices likely to be used in the future. In order to do this, you must find a Mobile Device Management solution created by a company that is knowledgeable about mobile device trends and knows how to support a diverse variety of devices from end to end. Managing IT Administration Responsibility. Despite the fact that most organisations understand the benefits that can be gained from BYOD implementation, many are still overwhelmed by the responsibility of managing a large variety of devices being used across the company. The notion of managing multiple platforms and devices where visibility is limited can prove to be a burden on IT professionals from an administration standpoint. Studies by the International Data Group have shown more than fifty percent of businesses mentioned the requirements for additional resources to effectively administer and manage a diverse range of devices. Companies also revealed in the study that this is one of the top challenges for their organisation. As the workplace environment changes with increased mobility, Mobile Device Management solutions are becoming more intuitive with advanced tools that help to reduce the burden of IT administration. A high quality solution that is designed to effectively manage both the work and personal areas of employee owned devices also offers tools for overseeing the administration of server level security along with an entire view of the mobile device usage landscape.
MDM solutions provide IT administrators with a single console where they can manage security, business applications, and multiple device platforms. Additionally, the tools also allow for group management, user access and permissions, and devices that are connecting from multiple servers as well. Implementing BYOD Policies to Control Device Usage. Many companies that desire to use BYOD are faced with the task of creating BYOD policies for both personal and company owned devices. Other organisations also are required to enforce policies for multiple user types with each policy defining its own requirements. The ability to effectively implement a BYOD policy for all devices used across an organisation is an important part of implementing BYOD in the workplace. Yet, many companies have yet to enforce BYOD policies that allow IT administrators to allow or deny user access and effectively manage the mobile risks posed by the use of personal devices. The solution to this dilemma is to work with a consultant or company that has extensive working knowledge of the BYOD policy creation process and enterprise mobility. This should be done with the inclusion of key IT professionals and stakeholders within your organisation. The creation of a BYOD policy begins with the organisation of a project team. The members should include IT professionals, department managers, those that can represent the end user, and other key people that can add valuable input into policy initiatives. Each project team member should lead the area of research that applies to their knowledge and skillset. At this stage, it is wise to create a template that each team member can use to maintain consistency during company research. The research portion will help key decision makers to get a handle on the internal processes that must be considered in the policy. Additionally, a thorough review of security requirements and considerations should be identified. These include what devices can and cannot be used, security features which should not be disabled, proper configuration standards that should be used, definition of the line between personal and business use, costs the end user assumes, and other considerations that are industry specific. Depending upon your industry, you may have other aspects that must be taken into consideration. This should be done prior to policy review where you can tighten up areas that lack specifics before a BYOD policy is finalised. The final step in BYOD policy implementation involves educating your staff. The more awareness you create, the better they will understand the implications of their actions when using a personal device for work related tasks.
Delivering Support for a Diverse Array of Mobile Devices. In addition to having to manage a diverse variety of platforms and devices, many organisations say they have been faced with the challenge of offering support for these devices as well. For most organisations, hiring IT professionals with specialised skills to support multiple platforms is cost prohibitive. Additionally, it is difficult to find IT staff with specialised skills in each area. For example, if your company has been offering one type of platform prior to BYOD, you may only have the expertise on board to support one platform. As employees use their own devices, your company is faced with multiple platforms such as ios, OS X, Windows, Android, and possibly BlackBerry. How can you provide support for such a diverse set of operating systems? The solution from both a support and security standpoint is do not attempt to do it all in-house. Instead, it is a wise decision to work with a Mobile Device Management solutions provider capable of offering support for the many facets of an MDM strategy. This includes employing the expertise necessary within the solution provider s company to support the diverse set of devices and platforms you use within your business. An MDM solutions provider that offers a variety of different services will provide you with the support you need at an affordable cost. An experienced MDM provider will also offer you the flexibility to access additional types of support as the device needs change within your organisation. This includes live support, ticket support, phone and email support, and online support which provides you with a single device support point for all platforms across your business. Conclusion. The challenges we have discussed in this article are the top challenges businesses face when they consider BYOD implementation. With the primary technology research organisations predicting a significant increase in mobile device usage in the workplace by 2017, it is inevitable that your company will be faced with Bring Your Own Device in the near future. The bottom line is that BYOD and enterprise mobility can significantly benefit your organisation or it can be a terrible nightmare. If you approach BYOD now and in the right way, you will reap the benefits over the long term. If your organisation opts to delay it and then tries to implement BYOD after it is well underway in most workplace environments, you will deem it to be a nightmare that escalates the possibility of business data breaches and additional security risks.
About Complex IT. Complex IT was born from the vision of introducing a unique service for organisations that typically employ an internal IT resource, but require supplementary knowledge and dexterity for assistance with complex IT requirements. Today, our vision is realised through a diverse range of strategic consultancy services, IT advisory solutions, complex IT application and fully managed IT solutions. These services are underpinned by over two decades experience in the London IT services sector, where we cater for some of the most demanding organisations in the heart of our capital city. Long-term relationships are built upon trust, and today, over 250 UK clients entrust us with their IT. We continue to deliver critical solutions, applying sector specific intelligence for the continuous improvement of IT infrastructure, mobile technologies, cloud-based communication and the provisions of data security strategies. We never knowingly apply short term fixes, only medium and long-term solutions for accomplishing continued business improvement. The highest standard of service cannot be applied without continuously improving our own resources. It is our responsibility to ensure that our team of consultants, technical engineers, project managers and business thinkers have the present competencies required to expand upon their existing skillset. Recognised company accreditations include ISO 27001 and 9001, Microsoft Gold partner status, Microsoft Small Business specialist, VMware Enterprise partner and Apple Contact us to find out more. One of our specialist areas is Mobile Device Management, helping businesses to address complex mobile challenges through enterprise Mobility Management (EMM). Visit the Mobile Device Management page on www.complexit.org, or call 020 8501 7645 and speak directly to a business development manager about our Mobile Device Management Services.