From BYOD to CYOD – Are You Joining the Movement?

While many businesses struggle to keep up with frequent technology changes, concepts like bring your own device (BYOD) policies have flourished, encouraging employees to work on devices of their choice. Gartner says 40 percent of US employees in large enterprises use personally owned devices for work. The driving force behind BYOD is IT self-sufficiency among employees who already own and use personal laptops, tablets, and smartphones. These mobile devices are often newer and more advanced than the equipment provided by IT departments. It's not surprising that the rapid adoption of lightweight Ultrabooks, iPads, and large-screened smartphones are changing the way people want to work. The goal for your organization? Increased productivity and reduced costs.

BYOD – the Flip Side

Although BYOD initiatives have enhanced employee satisfaction and productivity, there is a chance it is burdens your IT staff. If not fully understood and regulated, BYOD policies can also threaten IT security and put your company's sensitive business systems at risk. According to Gartner, one in four businesses admit to having a security issue on a private device. BYOD policies are also known to impose significant load when it comes to handling needs of the end user.

The biggest issue with BYOD is to make sure that security policies are being followed effectively; BYOD security concerns often stem from a device being compromised, allowing access to sensitive company data. As devices are accessed by third party users, security and visibility get highly affected, which in turn significantly threaten your company’s efficiency. You’re also going to be boggled by several questions: How do you decide on compensation? How much does an employee get paid for work done on the phone? And how do you curb the use of non-productive apps and websites on employee-owned devices?

Is CYOD the Solution?

Evolving from BYOD, Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) is here! While BYOD offered freedom, CYOD offers concessions for user options without compromising on enterprise control. With CYOD, employees no longer need to carry their own mobile, tablet, or laptop to their workplace but are instead given the freedom to choose from a range of devices that have been purchased, owned, and maintained by the company. Highlights of the CYOD model include:

• Instead of having to provide support for a multitude of employee-owned devices of various brands, form factors, and operating systems, IT teams can choose to support a specific set of devices, which reduces the overall burden of mobile device management significantly.
• Limiting the number of devices makes it easier for your IT staff to secure and manage the corporate data on those devices and you can decide which apps, information, and functions are authorized.
• In order to sustain productivity, you can allow employees to choose devices that they are most comfortable with.
• You can also ensure that the latest and most secure versions of OS, security software, and network settings are installed on all the devices.

Benefiting From CYOD

With CYOD, not only do you offer employees a variety of device choices, you also make sure that one device alone serves their professional and personal needs. Offering a degree of standardized environments allows for easier management and security planning for the IT department. As you retain control over a pre-approved set of devices, your IT staff doesn’t have to deal with so much variability, and employees have more flexibility and privacy. By embracing CYOD, your IT staff can efficiently manage their time and resource consumption and also mitigate security issues that were part of BYOD policies to a great extent.

According to Aberdeen Group, 73 percent of organizations with a CYOD policy are able to control access to their company’s network. This not only helps in effectively managing security, but is also great for maintaining workflow, collaboration, and productivity. The outcome? A win-win situation for both the IT department and the end-user.

Choose Wisely

CYOD ensures significant balance between data security and employee satisfaction; your IT staff doesn’t have to deal with an array of dissimilar employee-owned devices and your employees can enjoy more flexibility and privacy by working on company-owned devices of their choice. While CYOD offers several benefits to businesses and employees alike, when it comes to devices in the workplace, there is a need for balance between productivity and security. Parameters such as your business structure, the attitude of your employees and the level of risk you are prepared to undertake and withstand with respect to data need to be assessed. If you are a company with a small budget and possess relatively less critical information, a BYOD program would be more efficient in the short run. But if your company possesses certain specialized applications, proprietary data, and a relatively bigger workforce, a CYOD policy may be the way to go.

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