Mar 20, 2015

There’s no doubt that a significant amount of hype surrounds the BYOD trend. Being able to leverage the same mobile device for both work and play is an attractive strategy for many employees. Many small companies have greatly benefited from deploying a BYOD initiative, especially since such a practice can lead to a more mobile capable workforce without many added expenditures.

However, a recent study showed that just over half of larger enterprises are not as excited about BYOD as their small-time counterparts. A recent CompTIA survey found that 51 percent of large businesses don’t even allow BYOD within their companies. At the same time, though, 70 percent of survey respondents noted that they are seeking to bolster their efforts surrounding a more mobile workforce, Associations Now reported.

What’s keeping them from BYOD success?
So what exactly is preventing half of enterprises from instituting BYOD? The source noted that there are several factors, not the least of which being the restrictive policies put in place to govern the practice. While some may see these as invasive – and sometimes counterintuitive – BYOD policies are a necessary element to ensuring the safety of sensitive data stored and accessed via staffers’ mobile devices.

Although they are no doubt a critical part of the BYOD equation, these policies don’t have to be as restrictive as some may think. By implementing certain safety measures, company-owned information can remain protected and employees can still have the flexibility and freedom afforded by the use of mobile hardware.

For example, company administrators should utilize a secure file sharing platform so that mobile workers have a safe environment in which to transmit and collaborate on corporate documents. In this way, the BYOD policy need not outline countless do’s and don’ts for sharing business files, and instead can simply detail the protections provided by the secure file sharing program.

Another essential security measure is a remote device wiping capability. This is a critical part of the BYOD puzzle, as it allows decision-makers to remove any sensitive data from a device if it is, say, lost in an airport or stolen from a restaurant. With this protection in place, company leaders need not worry about what will happen to their business data if an employee misplaces their device.

A full understanding of BYOD benefits
Those that are hesitant to deploy a BYOD practice may not fully understand the myriad benefits that such a mobility initiative can offer. Some believe BYOD is more of a headache than an asset, but these individuals would be wrong.

One of the most attractive advantages of BYOD is the boosted productivity that can result from having streamlined and secure access to mission-critical documents and programs. In fact, The Guardian contributor Christer Holloman stated that a Salesforce.com survey of British workers found that 60 percent of these individuals utilize enterprise mobile apps, 21 percent of which are department-specific. Through this practice, these companies saw a considerable rise in productivity, by as much as 34 percent. By arming their employees with secure platforms, administrators need not be so concerned with security, and can instead enjoy the benefits of BYOD as they further the success of their business.