Pros and Cons of BOYD
“Bring Your Own Device” concept is a growing trend in the work environment. It involves the use of personal devices in the workplace for work purposes. Employees bring their own smartphones, computers, tablet PCs and other technology and communication devices in the place of work. The workplace trend is characterized by a number of benefits and drawbacks. Understanding both pros and cons is necessary in determining whether to embrace BOYD.
Pros of BOYD
Cost saving
Organizations save on the cost of investing in technology devices for use by staff. Cost saving is also in the form of repair costs of devices as well as data plans. Ownership also means that employees are likely to take better care of their devices.
Flexibility
Allowing employees to carry their own devices promotes flexibility as they can work from anywhere without the need to access the workplace. Additionally, it eliminates the need to go through layers of approvals to get new software installments or change in hardware.
Productivity
Individuals are likely to use devices they are familiar with. By using devices they prefer rather than those issued by the IT department, employees are likely to undertake their tasks with ease and efficiency. As a result, productivity increases.
Cons of BOYD
Security and control
BYOD brings information security issues and inability to safeguard crucial data. Given that organizations are required to comply with GLBA, HIPAA and PCI DSS requirements, difficulties in managing the security of devices comes at a cost. Organizations have to contend with the idea that they relinquish control by allowing individuals to bring their devices to work.
Data management
Segregating and retrieving data is a significant problem when an employee is leaving the organization. To prevent potential misuse of information, organizational information has to be retrieved from personal devices, which may prove difficult.