Federal government report offers BYOD program insight

Companies of all sizes deal with the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) conundrum. The benefits are apparent but so are the security risks that accompany them. Many industry insiders believe the incorporation of mobile devices into the business world is inevitable, so companies will need to draft a BYOD policy if they do not have one already.

While any number of feedback opinions could come about from the suggestion of modeling a policy after the federal government, a recently released directive on BYOD has some solid tips any business should consider. The outline of the “toolkit” – which was sent to a number of federal agencies – brings about some interesting observations about the industry and some best practices.

“The growing trend of BYOD demonstrates that we as IT leaders have changed how we adopt technology,” the report says. “Gone are the days of long projects that address every demand. We must now integrate new technologies in a rapid, iterative, agile, interoperable, and secure method to meet changing market and customer needs.”

The paper is not meant to be a mandatory set of rules or requirement that every department must adopt these strategies, just some helpful tips. The most interesting tidbit is the three things that the BYOD is meant to improve – giving employees choice, reducing costs and increasing productivity.

The last two are factors in every business initiative. If a new phone system or piece of software isn’t going to somehow increase worker productivity or make workflow more efficient, why incorporate it?

Employees choice heads down a different road as it deals with employees morale. More options, allow workers to pick the solution that they are most comfortable with. This will, in turn, increase their productivity and morale, which can spread to others in the office.

Companies in Ohio that are looking improve its BYOD strategy would be wise to partner with an IT consulting firm.

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