| TECHNOLOGY & YOUR AGENCY |
BYOD: Bringing own device to work
by the agents council on technology
he consumerization of IT
revolution – sparked by the
iPhone – has shifted the IT
culture so that the users are
the ones getting the latest, cutting
edge technologies first, and they want
to bring those devices to work.
– PC World Magazine, Dec. 20, 2011,
Tom Bradley
T
what is byod?
Many workers today expect the
companies they work for to allow
them to use their personal mobile
devices and personal computers at
the office, and/or to provide remote
connectivity to the office via personal
devices. Technologists dub this trend
“BYOD” (bring your own device).
why is byod important?
Mobile devices – along with their
applications and on-the-go Internet
access – provide attractive options for
speed, connectivity and productivity.
Many people wouldn’t think of
spending their workday without a
Blackberry, iPhone, Android, iPad
or other device to access company
systems and data. Most important,
senior managers want to use
these devices and are using their
organization’s technology more
because of them.
Many employees see their own
personal devices as superior to
those provided by their employers.
Employees also tend to believe they
are more productive if allowed to use
their own devices for work and data
4
syncing between office and home.
Thus, BYOD is significant because
employee-owned devices are now
accessing company systems and being
used for work purposes presenting
security and privacy concerns to the
employer.
Employers see the inherent value in
a more mobile, more connected and
more productive workforce. Many
employees and managers have no
problem connecting and addressing
work issues after hours and/or on
the weekends. It can be considered a
motivational strategy.
what are the risks?
BYOD mobility offers access
to enterprise data, systems and
corporate email. Employees can
store and process data and connect
to network ̸