Windows 8 mobile devices could help increase BYOD adoption

As of today, businesses will have even more devices to try and incorporate into their bring-your-own-device (BYOD) practices thanks to Microsoft. This morning Windows 8 and the Surface Tablet RT became available to the public and before the weekend is over there is a good chance that some IT departments will need to get the devices ready for a seamless deployment.

A recent survey from GovLoop spoke with a number of federal employees about BYOD strategies and why they are important. According to the study, implementing these devices can increase productivity and reduce costs. On top of that, 62 percent of respondents believe that a BYOD policy would be desirable at their agency.

“One of the benefits is that if a person is very proficient on a device, they should take that proficiency into the workplace, rather than learning how to be minimally proficient with the government-provided device,” said Kimberly Hancher, chief information officer at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in the report. “I can’t overemphasize how important personal productivity is across the enterprise.”

One of the interesting takeaways from the report is that employees enjoy their mobile devices and, just because there is no official policy, doesn’t mean employees will stop using their devices for work functions. According to responses, 41 percent use their personal devices for work email.

Many companies are looking to incorporate mobile devices into daily workflow and the availability of Windows 8 just adds a new wrinkle to decision making. Companies in Ohio that are looking improve their BYOD strategies would be wise to partner with an IT consulting firm.

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