Two Approaches to Managing Mobile Devices
Richard Stiennon - February 6th, 2012
There is no question we have entered the era of always connected mobile devices. Smart phones, iPads, and Android devices have changed the way people access information. Last month, I discussed why denying the use of personal mobile devices isn’t a realistic view. Looking to the future, here are some considerations on how to incorporate this new way of doing business.
The first step is to weigh the pros and cons of two different approaches. Do you allow personal mobile devices to be used? Or, do you adopt a company-owned and implemented platform? Here are considerations for both.
For the enterprise, but even more so for the small business, employee-owned mobile devices have some distinct advantages.
- Employees need only carry one device, not two and the employee can use a device and mobile OS of their own preference. Translation: Improved Employee Satisfaction
- A personal device is less likely to be lost or stolen. People take greater precautions with their own property and disable its service plan if it is lost or stolen. Translation: Lower Risk
- The employee is more likely to have the device with them at all times. Translation: Improved Productivity
- An employee is more likely to attempt self-diagnosis on technical problems with their own phone, rather than immediately contacting a company help desk. Translation: Lower Help Desk Costs
Allowing employee-owned mobile devices on the organization’s network promises immediate cost savings and an increase in employee satisfaction and productivity. But the bring-your-own-device model doesn’t come without challenges. Consideration must be given to how you protect organizational data without severely restricting the employee’s use of their own device, including:
- How will you manage certification, clearance, and enrollment for devices that become comprised due to employee use of insecure or dangerous applications or websites?
- How will you wipe compromised enterprise data from a device without damaging the employee’s private data?
- How will you determine which applications are considered risky and revoke the device’s certification accordingly?
- How will you ensure that enterprise applications, such as e-mail or VPN clients, are usable and effective on all platforms used in the employee-owned program?
- How will you determine enterprise liability for activities conducted on private devices and respond accordingly?
Likewise, company-owned and issued platforms also have several clear IT advantages, including: - An enterprise can maintain complete control over hardware and software that they own and maintain strict separation of business and personal activities on a company-owned mobile device. Therefore, organizations can place firm restrictions on non-business activities for the device, without much fear of employee dissatisfaction. Translation: More Control
- Organizations can expect to monitor applications deployed on the mobile device and can execute security measures, such as full wipes and lock-downs, without fear of destroying the employee’s private data. Translation: Improved Security
Regardless of what you choose, remember that excessive or unnecessary restrictions on mobile device usage will cripple the usefulness of any program as a whole by diminishing employee satisfaction and productivity. After all, employees are interested in these programs because they want to have more freedom with their work device.
My next post on the subject will provide best practices for mobile device management implementation, regardless of which path you choose.
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