BYOD and the Future of MDM

Index: Part of BYOD Strategy Series of articles

The trend for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has been the cause of a range of issues for companies and employees alike. A recent survey uncovered some startling facts about BYOD and the approaches people are using with regards to managing, or not managing, personal devices in the workplace.

Although more than 70% of people are now regularly using their personal devices in the workplace, many claim that they are receiving no instruction or guidelines from their employers regarding the safe implementation of BYOD. The fact remains that whilst people are using their own devices to access work emails and other data, which are potentially sensitive, they are putting at risk the personal details of customers and clients whose addresses, bank details and medical records are entrusted to them.

The future of BYOD is only certain in one area and that is the fact that employees are not going to want to stop taking part in BYOD because it offers such a familiar and convenient way to access information.

Organisations need to act now with regards to privacy issues and look at ways to minimize the risks which it brings. This is likely to mean implementing and effective Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution. Naturally, as the BYOD trend has taken off so the demand for MDM has increased. This increase in demand has, of course, been met by a response from the MDM market with new products and vendors aiming to take advantage of being able to support the maturing business needs developing as organisations understand this area more and more.

As mobile devices become an extension of our everyday lives in all aspects, MDM products have to keep up and continue to add and improve capabilities; clocking on, clocking off, paying for your staff lunch and accessing company files…they can all be managed by the employee as long as there is a suitable management level input to maintain security.

There is no doubt that the future of MDM is looking bright and that it is a market which will continue to grow and to improve as more companies realise that they need it. This is an exciting time in the world of IT and participating in BYOD programs means that companies and employees are having a hand in the shape of MDM in the future.

The organisations who are reluctant to join in the revolution will find that they not only risk their own corporate data and that of their employees but that they also lose out on a chance to shape the future of mobile device management.

The advantages of BYOD far outstrip the disadvantages, the main disadvantage being the cost of implementing an MDM solution, but this is negligible when compared with the potential cost of a lawsuit or the loss of reputation were sensitive files are lost or compromised. Businesses need to catch up and get on board with mobile device management as a matter of urgency and those who don’t may well find themselves left behind in more ways than one.

Written by: M L Symonds

The author has many years’ experience in IT within blue-chip organisations and writes professionally on a wide range of topics including Software Development, Project Management and MDM solution, including the growing trend of Bring-Your-Own-Device.