Given that almost everyone has a smart device of some kind these days, it may make more financial sense for businesses to ask their employees to use their own devices at work, rather than provide entire departments with company-issued phones, tablets or computers.
But do employees feel the same way? To some, being able to handle both work and personal matters is almost certainly a convenience. After all, who wants to carry a handful of devices wherever they go? But this can also present problems. For instance, employees who bring their own devices often end up using their own personal service and data plans for work related purposes. Depending on the type of work, this can be costly.
"Employees who bring their own devices often end up using their own personal service and data plans."
A recent study by Syntonic found that the above scenario describes most businesses. Eighty-seven percent of employers said that their employees relied on personal smartphones to access work-related apps, according to the study, which was reported in CIO. Meanwhile, half of all employees said they had to use their personal smartphones at work, and 23 percent felt pressure to do so out of the office.
One point of contention: While the study found that 43 percent of employers felt that BYOD improved productivity, half of all employees said the opposite. Their reason? Working on their smartphone used up their data, forcing them to wait for often unreliable Wi-Fi connections.
Businesses that plan to require employees to use their own devices must adopt a BYOD policy that helps them pay for the usage and keeps their software up to date for security purposes.
Agile IT modernization solutions can help companies adapt to the demand of a successful BYOD policy. Inventu's Flynet Viewer meets employer and employee expectations in a way that feels familiar and simple.