Is BYOD Worth the Investment?

Industries are constantly trying to save money and improve productivity in the workplace. A BYOD strategy, known as Bring Your Own Device, allows employees to achieve this new level of success. With employees bringing their own devices into the workplace, you would think that this saves the business the trouble of supplying them; but there’s some controversy over whether the reward is worth the risk.

When breaking down the expenses of BYOD, it can be difficult to get an accurate measure of how much it will cost you. BYOD expenses are varied and are largely based on what kind of policy is put into effect. It might even be costing your business money. In 2012, the Aberdeen Group discovered that an unnamed company with 1,000 mobile devices had spent an extra $170,000 a year, but there are conflicting reports claiming that larger companies like Intel and VMware saved money from a BYOD policy. Granted, two years for technology is a long time ago, but the point still stands that it might be time to reevaluate your BYOD policy, especially if you haven’t taken into account the greater security risks which have developed over the years.

According to TechRepublic, you should take several variables into account in order to best analyze the costs of BYOD versus the benefits of the trend. Here are some of the most important results of their findings.

Current BYOD Costs
When analyzing your BYOD expenses, it’s important to note the current costs of your business’s wireless devices. In order to get the most accurate numbers for your costs assessment, you’ll require the help of both your accounting and IT departments. Concentrate on what it costs your company to operate and maintain your currently owned devices, including any extra features they might come with. It’s better to overestimate how much it costs than underestimate expenses and break your budget.

Security Measures
Security is one of the most imperative features of a quality BYOD policy, and without it, you could risk a security breach. The thing about a BYOD policy is that it generally comes with an increased number of devices connecting to your network. When considering BYOD expenses, it’s important to take into account an enterprise-level security solution for your mobile devices.

Team Morale and Productivity
Some employees vehemently resist using your company’s technology, and will refuse to use it until you’re both frustrated from arguing over the issue. While there are several reasons an employee might not want to use corporate technology, these feelings generally stem from the belief that they can do their job better with their own technology. It might be worth the investment to allow employees the use of their mobile devices for work. By doing so, you’re giving them a choice, and employees like choices. BYOD can potentially give your team the boost it needs to go above and beyond their duties.

Team Responsiveness
Similarly, your team might be more apt to respond to urgent emails if they are carrying a mobile device used for work on them at all times. Employees might feel like engaging in workplace activities from home is finally worth it. The enhanced productivity might be enough to save your business some money.

XFER’s Mobile Device Management Solution
Businesses have some reservations about BYOD, and one of the largest reasons for this is the price of a mobile management solution. Integrating your mobile management solution could be costly if you’re not careful, especially if your IT department works by the hour. Instead, it’s recommended that your business invest in a mobile device management solution, like the one XFER provides.

XFER’s mobile device management solution combines the powerful tools you need to keep your workplace productive while maximizing security. With inventory management protocol put into place and asset tracking, you can always know where your devices are allocated. Additionally, we can whitelist and blacklist certain applications, so only those with specific permissions can access your network and sensitive information.

For more information about our mobile device management system, or what we can do to strengthen and improve your current BYOD policy, give us a call at 734-927-6666 / 800-GET-XFER.