BYOD: Intensive Setup Ensures a Successful Implementation

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shutterstock_292636697The debate today isn’t whether or not to implement a bring your own device (BYOD) program — it’s how to best go about making the transition to BYOD as smooth as possible. Many businesses have learned that a BYOD program improves productivity and reduces costs. A 2014 survey by research firm Tech Pro found that 74% of businesses surveyed either had an existing BYOD program or were planning to create one.

Despite the popularity of BYOD programs, moving from work devices to employee-owned devices is not an instant switch. Businesses need to be mindful of the fact that planning and maintaining will be required until the transition is complete. There are four major steps that a business can follow to make this transition as smooth as possible.

1) Have a Clear Goal

A business with a clear vision for its BYOD program will be able to implement it smoothly and efficiently. Some benefits of determining a goal in advance include:

  • easier management,
  • higher productivity, and
  • happier employees.

With a clear end goal, everyone involved in the BYOD implementation process will know what they are trying to achieve and why.

2) Communicate with IT

Good communication with the IT department is key to successfully implementing a BYOD program. Businesses should answer two key questions before beginning the BYOD program:

  • What devices are supported?
  • Of those devices, what will the business allow to be used?

An employee could potentially use their cell phone, tablet, and/or laptop or other personal computer in a BYOD program. Businesses should know which devices their IT department can best handle. For more uniformity of devices used, businesses could also look into partnering with a vendor that will allow employees to buy devices at a discount. This will make for easier management and streamline any repair or troubleshooting processes.

3) Carefully Create the BYOD Policy

There are many factors to consider when creating a BYOD policy, including:

  • Participants in the program
  • Eligible devices
  • Levels of employee access to business data
  • Security considerations
  • Whether or not to install a monitoring program
  • What to do if a device is lost or damaged
  • How much control the business will have over installed and banned apps
  • The exit process for an employee who is leaving the business

4) Train Employees

Once setup is complete, it’s important to ensure that all employees who are a part of the program have been properly trained. Communication is again key here; a meeting should be scheduled in person and employees should be aware of the policy regarding BYOD. Initial training will likely take time and resources, but once training is complete and the program is in place, future updates should be quick and efficient.

A BYOD program may seem like a lot of work, but it will soon lead to increased productivity and decreased costs. By being prepared beforehand, a business can ensure that the transition is as smooth and streamlined as possible.

Implement a Successful Unified Communications System in 4 Simple Steps

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shutterstock_108055643The benefit of Unified Communications (UC) is that it combines a number of different communication methods into one portal, which is increasingly attractive to businesses.

UC is still a relatively new technology and businesses may be worried about the cost, but UC can actually save a business money once they’re past the initial investment. One of the biggest benefits to UC is that employees can use their own devices and can connect from any location, which also reduces travel expenses.

There are four simple ways that a business can make their transition to UC a success:

  • Security requirements
  • Testing the technology
  • Training employees
  • Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Security Requirements

Knowing the security requirements first will allow a business to make an informed choice about what services they need. An organization that deals with sensitive data, for example, will have to make the choice between the three types of cloud services: public, private, and hybrid. Security needs will also continue after the UC system is implemented. For example, it’s important to always use strong passwords and pay close attention to call logs.

Testing the Technology

Before making a purchase, businesses should be sure to test out the technology. If a provider won’t allow this, businesses should look for a more reputable vendor.

Employee Training

Once a vendor is chosen and the unified communications system is purchased, employees will need to be trained on the technology. Employees that know what they’re doing are essential to keeping the system running without any hitches, and to ease the transition businesses should inform their employees about the change before it happens.

Businesses should also follow three basic steps when training employees on the unified communications system. The first step is to introduce the technology and show the employees exactly what they’ll be working with. The second step is to thoroughly explain the technology, so that employees know how to use it and what it can do. As a refresher, the technology should then be reviewed again once some time has passed. That way, anyone who missed anything during the first explanation can ensure their questions are answered.

BYOD

Once training is complete, allowing employees to bring their own devices can help simplify the UC process. This will allow businesses to support devices not issued by them and cut down on costs because they are personal devices. BYOD programs are becoming more and more common in the workplace and benefit both employees and the business.

Although a UC system may seem complicated to learn and expensive for the initial investment, it can become a benefit to most businesses. Knowing the security requirements, testing the technology, embracing BYOD, and providing proper training are a few ways to successfully implement a UC system with minimum hassle.

Why Businesses Should Utilize MDM

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Mobile devicesTouchscreen smartphones and tablets are making waves in the world of corporate IT. Many companies are eager to utilize the technology despite the fact that many of these devices don’t meet all security needs. However, cloud technology has made security and device management relatively easy.

The innovation of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies has made security a primary concern for companies. InformationWeek’s 2013 State of Mobile Security discovered that 20 percent of responding companies were developing BYOD policies while 68 percent already had them in place. This means that 88 percent of those respondents are or will soon be implementing BYOD.

As a result of the growing popularity of business mobilization, mobile device management (MDM) solutions were recently developed so companies can use this beneficial technology without compromised security. Another name for mobile device management that has been used is “enterprise mobility management” (EMM). This name refers to MDM’s focus beyond simply mobile device management in an enterprise.

There are many advantages to using cloud technology to manage mobile devices.

Why Choose Cloud MDM/EMM?

Many businesses aren’t sure whether to use on-premises MDM/EMM or make it cloud-based. If it is offered, cloud-based MDM/EMM is ideal for a variety of reasons. One of the main reasons to use MDM/EMM in the cloud is because of the eliminated costs associated with using a new server. Another benefit is that the service provider will normally be responsible for any updates that are released, keeping your systems up to date at all times.

In addition, there is no functionality lost when using cloud-based MDM/EMM. Cloud technology offers the same capabilities as on-site applications.

A Reliable Mobility Policy Is Everything

A solid mobility policy should be a primary concern in cloud-based MDM/EMM. It should cover all pertinent devices and address proper use and security responsibilities. This policy should be thorough in a number of ways, covering:

  • All mobile devices, including the specific models and operating systems that will be offered
  • The types of employees who will receive devices from the company vs. those involved in BYOD
  • Implementation procedures and steps for retiring devices once employees leave
  • Specific security steps to avoid stealing of information and data

There are many other factors that a policy should cover as well, leaving no room for outdated information or exploitable loopholes.

How MDM/EMM Is Being Used

Businesses that are particularly trusting can rely on employees to follow the strict policy associated with mobile devices, or they can choose to let a mobile device management (MDM) system ensure that there is no violation.

MDM used to be exclusively for BlackBerry devices, but has since been developed to cover iPhones and many other types of devices used in the workplace. Some of the aspects of MDM/EMM that have carried over to newer devices include:

  • Security – MDM ensures that all data is encrypted and password protected, and prevents both rooting and jailbreaking.
  • Application Management – Certain mobile apps can be either blacklisted or whitelisted, depending on a company’s preferences.
  • Containerization – A secure container is created to store all company data and personal data as well.

Choosing MDM/EMM Providers

Using cloud-based MDM/EMM for company mobile devices and BYOD will help improve a company’s efficiency as well as reduce the costs of on-premises solutions. In addition, security measures are expanded, with a wide range of devices employing the same level of security. Overall, using an MDM/EMM provider helps ensure that IT personnel can effectively keep systems secure.