Did you know that by 2017, half of the world’s employers will post a mandatory policy regarding BYOD in the workplace? This means that it will be mandatory for employees to bring their own laptops, tablets or smartphones to work and that over 70% of mobile professionals will conduct their work on personal smart devices by 2018. This may seem far-fetched, but research backs it up.
Forrester completed a survey of 5,102 businesses and found that workers are spending about US $1,253 annually on computers to do their jobs. So, you see, there is no doubt that the BYOD phenomenon is rapidly hitting the mainstream, even as it attracts attention from IT managers everywhere.
This article highlights this BYOD trend and outlines a few benefits and reasons why it is becoming so popular. So, here goes…
1) It’s all about tools: Initially there were fears that employees would use the BYOD trend to text messages and play games, thereby reducing productivity. However, as the trend matures, these fears are short-lived. It turns out that workers are using their devices to augment their skills and not waste away work hours.
2) Fine-tuning work-life balance: The BYOD trend means ease of use for workers and more productivity for companies that implement a well-run BYOD plan. For example, a worker with her own iPad might read personal email, check Twitter, update her calendar and sit-in on a video call, even as she waits to pick up her child from school.
3) Ensuring projects move ahead quickly: BYOD has big benefits for business too. Less time offline for workers means that projects move forward more quickly and critical business decisions are not restricted to the 9-to-5 world. Also, once organisations and employees work out all the BYOD links, those extra tablets, smartphones and personal computers look like they’re here to stay.
4) Appeal for both older and younger workers: If companies want to engage Millennials, they need a robust BYOD policy, as these workers are very used to having ready access to the Internet and connected devices. However, a company-wide BYOD policy also engages older workers. They are able to complete many tasks at home which appeals not only to this group, but to other groups as well. It also gives your company the edge in attracting quality employees who may not be able to work a normal day at the office.
5) Lower IT costs: The BYOD trend has often been called “The Consumerization of IT” and is becoming popular fast in large corporations and government agencies. If you let your employees bring their own device to work, your costs decrease, as you centralize applications and company data for access via personal devices. You can also avoid upgrading hardware every few years. Also, your workers will become more self-supporting, as opposed to constantly sending our distressed calls to IT.
6) Reduces security risk: Mostly, if your employee carries a company phone or tablet, it means that she is carrying the keys to the company, which could lead to unthinkable loss and consequences. Rather than sensitive company information residing on the device, in a BYOD environment, all information moves to a cloud-based setup. This way, an employee’s device is just a tool to access the cloud-based corporate info. This means that even if the data is lost or stolen, you can simply remove the device’s access. This enhances data security company-wide.
So, now you know why BYOD is here to stay. As this trend continues to become more popular, the concept of work from anywhere, at any time, on any device will become a concrete reality. Keep this in mind as you grow your business and draft its business policies. Here’s to connecting continuously everywhere, every time…
For more information on how you can set up cloud-based video conferencing and other collaboration solutions for your business, contact Actis at 022-30808080 or at contact@actis.co.in.
(Content courtesy: www.lifesize.com and www.entrepreneur.com and Images courtesy: www.videocentric.co.uk and www.lifesize.com)