Recent development of cloud technology and mobile device boom have substantially changed the looks of modern workplaces. Contemporary professionals are hyper-connected and increasingly rely on their mobile devices to manage both their personal and business data on the go. Correspondingly, plenty of companies started developing appropriate BYOD strategies in order to maximize their employee’s efficiency.
Advantages of BYOD
The emerging BYOD trend has offered an opportunity for businesses of all sizes to develop interactive climate in their offices by implementing latest tech solutions. Companies that allow their employees to use their personal devices at the workplace can lower their investments into hardware equipment and this is a major driver for adopting BYOD policies. In addition to this, various studies reported that employees prefer to use a single device for both their business and personal needs, instead of constantly shifting between work PCs, home PCs, laptops or other mobile devices they actively use.
This trend is heavily dependent on cloud computing technology because this platform provides necessary solutions for successful BYOD implementation. Cloud’s potential stems from its possibility to deliver powerful computing resources to mobile devices and connect physically distant employees into a single shared desktop through the cloud. By using cloud-based apps such as Box or Google Drive, employees can easily create a virtual collaboration space and keep in touch with all the important business-related documents. As cloud services function seamlessly on different devices, employees can finish most of their tasks on the go from their mobile devices, which is seen as another important productivity boost.
Moreover, SMBs can additionally profit from that the fact that employees tend to take more care about their personal devices than of the company’s property. Thus, it seems BYOD is a dream-come-true for small businesses in particular because it can provide them with maximum efficiency with minimum IT investments.
Reliability issues
Despite the benefits listed above, plenty of companies still have doubts about adopting BYOD policies. Major concerns are related to security issues in the cloud and the fact that mobile devices are generally less safe and less durable than on-site desktop PCs. Development of cloud computing has brought about increased security challenges and is still found vulnerable to malicious attacks. This is the main reason why many managers still hesitate to follow this trend and meet their employee’s expectation.
To be able to eliminate potential threats, companies need to make sure they implement appropriate virtualization strategies, even if this requires them to consult cloud experts. Such strategies are certainly efficient in terms of protecting data and ensuring that employees won’t carry company documents around, after they leave the office.
Clearly, no manager should just allow his or her employees to bring their own device to work and log in to any web-based app they can think of. However, this neither means that the fear should stop them from taking steps toward more efficient business strategies. Therefore, even with all the challenges presented, a proper BYOD strategy can be an excellent solution for those who are ready to learn more about the cloud platform and current tech trends.
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