Each year, the number of new mobile devices sold in the UK spikes as manufacturers roll out new models and introduce special pricing to capture their slice of the highly competitive market. For a small business owner, telling your employees it’s okay to “bring your own device”(BYOD) to work can either be a blessing or a major headache
On the plus side, BYOD can reduce costs and increase productivity. UK companies on average save over £1,100 per person on hardware, support and data with employees who bring their own devices. In terms of productivity, having their own devices means your employees have the ability to customise the software, apps and services they use to fit their working styles. And, for UK employees, that working style is definitely mobile. In fact, the UK boasts the highest level of mobile and tablet page views in Europe. Nearly a third of all page views are done through mobile devices.
For UK employees, this customisation has led to an average of 51 minutes per week in increased productivity, which translates to over £600/year per employee. And as mobile devices (and the apps and operating systems running on them) become more powerful, we can expect to see that productivity continue to increase. Added to this productivity is the flexibility it gives employees to be able to switch between work mode and personal mode seamlessly.
But while employees love the freedom and flexibility of BYOD, and business owners love the productivity and cost savings, there’s definitely a risk that your IT manager probably know about all too well: security. By giving your employees the freedom and flexibility of a BYOD program, you’re suddenly opening up your company’s data to a slew of potential breaches.
First, there are the operating systems. Employees could be using mobile devices running various versions of Android, iOS or Windows. And then there are the apps: the average mobile device in the UK and US has 24 of them. Each of these operating systems and apps is generally managed by its respective developer. So when you multiply employees by device OS and again by apps, you’ve got hundreds of potential security risks.
In addition to software threats, there’s also the very real risk of your employees losing these devices. A quick exit from a taxi. Distraction on the train. A purse pocket accidentally left open. (It’s happened to all of us.) It’s estimated that UK employees lose nearly 10,000 mobile devices a year. If not properly secured, that device could literally become a walking, talking security breach. Whoever picks up that device could have access to sensitive company data: confidential emails, strategic presentations or financial details and forecasts.
