There’s little disagreement that mobile technologies are beneficial to business. Mobility means flexibility and productivity gains and a sense of control for employees. Mobile is more than just smartphones. With IoT, more devices like smartwatches, tablets, and manufacturing equipment are enabled to access networks and provide information to individuals through multiple channels. In many ways, this has changed the “boundaries” of the workplace, which make managing enterprise data more complex.
An IBM study found that 62% of IT leaders with a well-defined mobile strategy achieve ROI in 12 months or less. Harnessing the power of mobile devices can improve the flexibility and productivity of employees, while sound Mobile Device Management protects an enterprise from security threats.
How are companies approaching mobility?
A recent Gartner study found that 66% of employees currently use their own devices at work. From a productivity, cost and employee satisfaction perspective, allowing employees to bring their own devices is beneficial. Mobile access means that companies can work beyond the walls of their cubicles and can more easily access information on the go. Employees are more likely to be comfortable navigating their own devices and for the IT department, it drives fewer device set-up and maintenance costs. However, the benefits are not without risks.
Risks
Increasing the number of devices with access to a network makes managing and securing those devices more complicated. Identifying the number of devices on the network, configuring these devices to comply with company policies, granting access to internal information, as well as protecting these devices from outside threats pose many challenges.
Another risk, less tangible but certainly impactful, is employee compliance and overall satisfaction. Even if corporations provide devices, many employees are still prone to carry their own devices with them, or find work arounds. Transparency around device policies and security risks can help convey the risks to non-compliant or resistant employees. If deployed properly, BYOD policies can meet employee needs and still protect the network from external threats.
This month on Tech Community, we’ll be discussing mobile device management, productivity gains from a mobile-first world, and the security challenges (among other challenges) that go along with managing an ever-growing network of devices.
How does your company approach mobility and what are the challenges and successes you’ve had?
