What is BYOD and Its Pros and Cons

The way in which business is conducted is changing rapidly every day. With innovations being made in technology, people are finding benefits in using these discoveries to their advantage. One of these new ways is to implement the technology already owned by employees, or “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD). By allowing employees to bring their own device to use on the job, opens a variety of ways in which the company can save time and money.

On the other hand though, the “bring your own device” model has also opened up new ways in which the company could be held liable for misuse of resources. It is up to the management together with their IT providers to decide if instituting a BYOD work environment is the correct choice for them.

Advantages

Faster

We find ourselves living in a world of instant gratification. People want things now and it is up to companies to provide this level of fulfilment in order to keep and maintain their competitive edge. When employees are equipped with their own familiar and readily available devices, response times decrease while overall productivity prospers.

Save Money

Whether or not the use of employee devices is being utilised, most businesses now use a certain level of technology during day-to-day business. In order to keep up with new changes and features, it is necessary to buy new hardware to replace out-dated systems. Allowing employees to use their own technology however allows management to deflect some of this cost onto the employee in an inadvertent way.

In some cases, it is possible to hire work-at-home employees who possess their own technology. The money saved on overhead and administrative costs to keep an in-house staff member certainly adds up.

Employee Individuality

Finding hardworking, dedicated employees is not an easy task to accomplish. But they can become caught up in mundane, day-to-day activities on the job. By allowing the use of personal devices on the job, a whole new work environment is established. Employees are reportedly happier on the job, and this helps spread good word about the company they represent, drawing positive attention that can allow the employer to be more selective during the hiring process.

In-House Access

Since the Internet has transformed the face of business, employers have been faced with the challenges that technology has brought about. Third party services must be obtained to support the level of support required to keep businesses competitive. By incorporating the use of employee-owned technology, much of this outsourcing becomes unnecessary, saving the employer further costs.

Disadvantages

As with anything in life, some have overlooked the BOYD benefits due to disadvantages that make this concept incompatible with their specific business. Security breaches, lack of consistency in the quality of apps, liability issues in the event that a device is hacked or stolen and other data breaches have caused some employers to shun this new way of doing business. Before instituting this type of technology, it is important for management to consider the security issues that can arise when employees use their own technological devices on the job.

Consider BYOD Today!
The extent of these advantages and disadvantages to BYOD will vary from business to business, so it will be important for any business to weigh these up when considering their move into BYOD. If you need more information or guidance, give us a call, we’ll be happy to help determine the best IT decisions for you and your business moving forward.

Call us on +61 2 9386 2900 or fill in this contact form, one of our friendly consultants look forward to assisting you!