Survey: Bring Your Own Device Programs Gain Steam, Save Money and Boost Efficiency 
In 2012, enterprises IT should be able to support and secure new smartphones and tablets their employees receive this holiday season, according a survey on BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) programs. BYOD programs are also getting easier to support, and employees are willing to pay for their own mobile use. IDN reviews findings from Good Technology’s BYOD survey.
In 2012, enterprises should be prepared to secure new smartphones and tablets that employees receive this holiday season, according to Good Technology’s first BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) report.
Because smartphones and tablets are so popular and so ubiquitous, employees are asking their employees to let them use their personal, mobile devices for professional functions. As a result of this “consumerization of IT,” IT departments are under the gun to develop polices to enable employees to use their own devices to access confidential enterprise data and information.
Good Technology surveyed its clients to determine how they adapt policies in support of employee mobility.
The key findings of the survey include:
- Highly regulated industries like the finance/insurance and healthcare industries embrace BYOD picture;
- Retail/wholesale and government are less likely to support BYOD;
- Larger companies are beginning to embrace BYOD. Some 80% of companies that now support BYOD have over 2,000 employees; 60% have over 5,000 employees; and 35% have over 10,000 employees;
- Employees will pay their own way to use their own devices: 50% of companies with BYOD policies require employees to cover all costs—and their users are taking them up on the offer. Some 45% provide their employees with stipends or “expense back” options to help subsidize the cost of their mobile devices or service plans;
- Offering BYOD stipend increases: More employees use their personal mobile devices at companies that offer BYOD stipends than employees whose companies require employees to cover all BYOD costs themselves;
- BYOD goes global: Many believe that BYOD “doesn’t work” outside the US because of privacy laws or high roaming costs. But Good’s data indicates that nearly half (44.9%) of respondents say they’re deploying BYOD programs in a number of countries.
John Herrema, Senior Vice President,
Corporate Strategy Good Technology
"Just as we saw last year, smartphones and tablets will be popular gifts this holiday season, and come January employees will bring these devices to work in droves,” said John Herrema, SVP of Corporate Strategy at Good Technology, in a statement. Good Technology is offering solutions to help enterprise IT support BYOD, he added, and boost employee productivity and satisfaction and cut overall mobility spending.
According to a recent Forrester Research report on the benefits of a BYOD model, “For IT professionals, there is a silver lining in all this employee choice and power: you can outsource the cost of devices, monthly service, and even some applications to employees. This is easy to see in the way employees are willing to share or shoulder the cost of smartphones and monthly plans. But it’s not a stretch to realize that for any dual-use device or service, your employees might help.”
