With the increasing fragmentation of the mobile device ecosystem, companies that have permitted employees to bring and work on their own smartphones or tablets have found it difficult to manage the vast array of devices that run on different platforms and applications, says Mohsien Hassim, business unit manager: Information Security (Cybersecurity) Services – Datacentrix.Aside from the obvious security issue, there are other aspects of BYOD that might prove to be problematic for organisations; these include the loss of data on mobile devices, bandwidth limitations, memory hungry apps, along with poorly implemented BYOD policies and a lack of in-house IT mobility skills.
Furthermore, without the implementation of a robust and appropriate corporate mobile ecosystem, the management of devices and apps will become a serious challenge.
Data that has not been backed up on a lost, damaged or stolen personally owned mobile device may result in lost employee production time, as the work associated with the data on the mobile device would needed to be re-created (this is beside the fact of the security threat of the data loss).
Limitations in bandwidth slow down access to critical systems and the interchange of information, resulting in a negative impact on employee productivity. Poorly coded apps that are memory hungry simply result in slower devices which can be counteracted by more expensive high ended devices, all of which results in increased costs.
Internally, poorly implemented BYOD policies mean that companies cannot properly manage the mobile ecosystem and mobile apps, which may result in a fragmented environment and poorly managed mobile usage. At the same time, a lack of in-house mobile IT skills will make the mobile strategy difficult to manage and control, leading to in higher downtime, increased costs and greater risks.
In order to mitigate these negative aspects, a key step is the establishment of a properly managed mobile ecosystem and a well thought out mobile strategy. These should incorporate not only BYOD, but also a Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) policy. CYOD is different from BYOD as it only permits employees to choose from a pre-selected group of devices, with pre-installed apps, that fit in with a preferred company mobile ecosystem.
Like BYOD, CYOD also needs to encompass the elements of security, data management, application development, bandwidth usage, mobile ecosystem balancing, and the mobility of the workforce.
The growth of mobile device usage is inevitable and embracing the technology sooner than later is the route to adopt. Avoidance and preventing this growth is not an option. On the whole “choosing” rather than “bringing” your own device will become the main enterprise mobile strategy, because it enables better security and mobilisation of applications.
With CYOD, the degree of standardised environments allows for easier management and security planning for the IT department. CYOD is about the IT department regaining some control and securing applications, whilst delivering tangible business benefits.
Smart mobile apps and solutions have proved to have a significant impact on business in 2013 and will continue to do so in 2014. Enterprise mobility has had a direct, positive impact on employee productivity. The flexibility of an organisation’s approach to BYOD, and its likely move to CYOD, needs to be carefully managed through the corporate mobile ecosystem in order to derive maximum benefit.
The creation of a collaborative and interactive work environment, where both staff and customers are able to work across geographical boundaries, will require significant effort to ensure that the management of mobile applications and associated products work as they are designed to.