Meeting the Challenges Posed by BYOD

BYOD is not an invitation to bring your own drink to a party. It refers to "bring your own device" to work, the device being a smart phone or tablet.

According to a Forrester Research Survey, 60% of organisations are extending this invitation to their staff. After all, allowing staff to use their own smart phones and tablets is a cost-effective way to ensure everyone has the latest mobile communications technology.

There are challenges, however. For years, IT departments have kept a tight leash on the hardware and software of an organisation. They must now change their approach. They need to implement strategies to ensure employees' mobile devices don't compromise security.

Importance of Mobile Devices

Organisations need to keep staff in touch with customers, suppliers and each other at all times. Supplying the latest iPhone, iPad or android devices, however, is costly.

But organisations have come to realise they don't need to meet these costs. Staff are buying their own devices. The research company Gartner forecasts sales of 645 million smart phones and tablets in 2012.

BYOD Challenges

It therefore makes commercial sense to embrace the BYOD trend. But without a BYOD strategy, it's hard to guarantee secure unified communications.

The main security issue concerns operating systems. In the past, IT departments have managed the operating systems behind communications networks. BYOD introduces other such systems to networks. Apple has iOS; Google has Android; Research In Motion (RIM) has BlackBerry; and Microsoft has the Windows phone. These different systems mean IT departments must examine and somehow control the various ways staff can access work data.

A further issue is VoIP (voice over Internet protocol). If an organisation has invested in IP telephony, it wants staff to take advantage of the cost savings. It must therefore provide a secure link between smartphones, tablets and the VoIP system.

Enterprise Mobility and Other Solutions

These problems have solutions. Strategies include MDM (mobile device management) and EMM (enterprise mobility management). Of these, EMM is increasingly popular. Its approach to BYOD is to manage employees' mobile devices and the apps they use.

Apps, though, are just part of the answer. Software, passwords, cloud computing and the use of VPNs (virtual private networks) are also helping to make BYOD a success. They ensure BYOD security, adapt to the different operating systems, and maintain unified communications.

BYOD is therefore here to stay. And with a sound management strategy in place, mobile communications can keep pace with change thanks to the enthusiasm of staff for new devices.

Brent Hunt is Head of Marketing & Business Development at Voyager Network Ltd. Established in 1993, Voyager Networks develops and deploys secure Internet Protocol (IP) communication network solutions for private and public organisations throughout the UK.

http://www.voyager.net.uk/

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