What does BYOD mean and what are the advantages?

How would it be easier for you to work? On your own devices or on those provided by your employer? But which is more secure from a security perspective? information security? 

These are just some of the questions that the BYOD policy tries to answer. Find out what BYOD means and what advantages it can bring to a company. Read this article especially if you are concerned about opening an online business! 

What does BYOD mean?

BYOD is the acronym for Bring Your Own Device, an IT policy embraced by more and more companies that allows or even encourages employees to bring and use their own digital devices in the office. Obviously, we are referring to mobile devices such as tablets, laptops or smartphones. These personal devices are then used by employees to access systems and databases through cloud solutions. 

By bringing to the office IT equipment personal, employers are forced to find various IT solutions which guarantees data security, phishing or other security risks becoming much more important, but also dangerous for the company. However, this new way of working also comes with a lot of advantages, especially if it is successfully combined with cloud computing and take into account GDPR provisions. 

Translated into Romanian as "bring your own device to the office", this term was first used by the company INTEL in 2009. 

Types of BYOD policies

In general, there are four models for integrating BYOD policy into IT infrastructure of companies: 

• Unlimited access for users with personal devices to company systems and data;
• Access of users with personal devices only to systems and information that are not sensitive;
• Access by users with personal devices only under the careful control of the IT department regarding the information processed and the applications installed;
• Access for users with personal devices to sensitive information, but without storage capabilities. 

The importance of BYOD policy

BYOD is particularly relevant, especially in large companies, because it allows employees to gain a certain degree of IT independence from their employer. Many of the devices employees use are newer and more powerful than those owned by the employer, so employees are not forced to work on equipment that makes their tasks more difficult. 

If your IT department is not yet up to date and does not know how to manage the BYOD implementation process, you will most likely benefit from IT consultancy. 

Advantages of BYOD policy

Here are the most important advantages you will benefit from if you implement the BYOD policy: 

• Increase employee productivity. Employees will work better and faster on their own devices because they are used to them. This way, you as an employer reduce the time needed for training, and employees can personalize their work process and the way they use various applications. In addition, employees will have access to all information in the same place, which will allow them to work from anywhere and anytime. Obviously, this will also be reflected in the actual working time. Thus, you will find that most tasks are completed much faster;

• Reduce operational costs. By implementing the BYOD policy, you waive the costs related to the purchase and maintenance of most IT equipment. In addition, your monthly bill for internet services will also decrease. Basically, instead of paying the entire subscription, you will be able to reimburse each employee based on their personal consumption;

• Increase employee satisfaction. Using personal devices will allow employees to work from anywhere, anytime, giving them more control over their work-life balance. The ability to make their own schedule will not only attract new employees, but will also keep current ones happy. In addition, communication will be streamlined;

• You have access to new devices and technologies. Employees typically invest more in their personal devices than an employer does. They will be directly interested in updates, and their work will benefit from the superior capabilities of the device;

• Reduce the burden on the IT department. Since employees will be responsible for maintaining their own devices, the IT team can focus on more important tasks, such as the security and smooth running of the company's software;

• Streamline the recruitment process by offering the possibility of working remotely. Often, the best people don't live in the same city or even the same country your company operates in. Implementing a BYOD policy encourages recruiting staff from all over the globe. 

Disadvantages of BYOD policy

As mentioned above, there are some disadvantages to a BYOD policy. The first is related to data security, since the employer has little or no control over the information accessible on personal devices. Thus, any company implementing this policy must determine exactly what information can be accessed by employees with personal devices and what security measures are necessary if the device happens to be stolen or hacked. 

The second problem is the lack of consistency in the software used by employees. Thus, the company's support team not only has to take security measures, but at the same time it has to propose the right software for most devices and solve any problems. Obviously, the company reserves the right to set certain standards when it comes to processing power, type of graphics card or compatibility of personal devices with a certain type of software. This definitely implies taking certain steps necessary for a coherent BYOD strategy. 

The processes required to implement the BYOD policy

If the advantages detailed above have convinced you and you understand that the disadvantages can be avoided with the help of a coherent strategy, find out what are the steps necessary to implement the BYOD policy: 

• • Planning and cost-benefit analysis. Decide which devices employees can use and what the level of access is for each user group. Both the security rules for each segment, as well as the financing of devices, as well as the estimation of IT support must go through a cost analysis;

• Security policy implementation. Carefully select the technologies to be used, depending on the company's context. A criterion worth considering will be the system's flexibility and monitoring capacity for as many devices as possible;

• Communicate BYOD policy. Inform employees about the security measures they must take and the procedures they will follow as a consequence of the loss or hacking of a device. Employees must also know what categories of data they have access to and which ones can be stored;

• Providing assistance. In the first phase, you will most likely face a multitude of support calls and problems from users. As people understand the new system, the role of the support department will become more related to maintenance and not so much to assistance. 

Don't forget to consider what will happen when the employee leaves the company. The company should ensure that the former employee has surrendered all access credentials and that company-provided data and applications have been removed from the former employee's device. Following the exit interview, access to corporate email is typically restricted and the device is no longer synced. 

So, is it worth implementing a BYOD policy? Yes, if you approach this process properly!