WHAT IS BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE?


Bring Your Own Device has become a major component of phone technology for business, adding a level of flexibility to phone systems that employees have asked for all along. This unique system allows your company to minimize some phone expenses while maximizing the number of devices you can support, all with the help of your team.

WHAT IS BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE?

The term BYOD is used for many industries, but for telecommunications, Bring Your Own Device is a type of phone technology for business that allows users to connect to your network using any device of their choosing. From the business side of things, this means that you need to have a system in place to at the minimum support both Android devices (51% of the market) and Apple devices (44% of the market). However, it also means that you will either: 1) not have to purchase a full set of phones for your employees and thus saving money, or 2) create a more connected environment with the increased number of devices in use.

WHY EMPLOYEES PREFER BYOD

The debate between Apple and Android users has raged on for years, and with each new release, there is plenty of fresh material. As a result, companies have had a tough time pacifying advocates for one side or the other when they make their phone purchases. No matter what you do, somebody will be upset that they have to learn a new technology or that they can't just use their old phone. In addition, as phones have started getting larger again instead of smaller, many employees are simply tired of carrying both a personal device and a company phone on their hips at all times. The ability to combine the two is a nice touch. With BYOD, employees can stick with a device and OS they are already comfortable with and save you the hassle of trying to juggle everyone's preferences.

COST OF IMPLEMENTATION

As mentioned, there is some extra cost associated with developing a back end system that is cross-compatible with the wide range of devices on the market today. This requires regular updating and maintenance as new devices are released annually. On the other hand, in place of purchasing individual phones for each employee, you will offer a small stipend toward their existing phone bill instead. This small monthly payout to the employee helps offset additional data costs or the cost of a newer phone that is supported by the system.

SECURITY AND RELIABILITY CONCERNS

Naturally, since the company does not own the users' phones in a traditional sense, it is far more difficult to control how the devices are used. Security analysts warn that BYOD is not for the faint of heart in the IT department, as they will be expected to keep everyone's devices working properly without the same level of access. Most companies address this challenge by properly training their employees (easier said than done) about security risks on their devices and implementing a strong encryption system to keep data safe in-house.

Bring Your Own Device is changing the ways phone technology for business works. It provides you and your employees with more device options while also reducing the cost of new phones. Your employees can enjoy the convenience offered by using their favorite device while your team can spend time focusing on internal network controls.

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