In the past we have written about the benefits and risks associated with implementing a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) program. We also provided some tips to help you managed a BYOD plan.
A new report from Crowd Research Partners has shed some light on the common barriers that are impeding more widespread adoption of BYOD at an enterprise level.
Let’s start with the positive. Management opposition has dropped to only 3%. This proves that decision makers are slowly but surely gaining a clearer understanding of BYOD programs and are identifying the inherent benefits of them for their organizations.
The freedom to choose the device that employees know and feel more comfortable with as their main work device has been the main contributing factor in reducing user experience concerns to only 5%.
However, the biggest barrier for BYOD adoption remains concerns about security. Approximately 39% of decision makers quote worries about mobile security threats, data breaches and new regulations as the number one factors impeding them to green light BYOD.
Interestingly, only 30% of the companies surveyed reported an intention to increase their security budgets for the next year. Furthermore, 37% confirmed no plans to change their security budget at all.
So it seems that at least for now, throwing money at the problem will not be a viable course of action in the search for a solution. Therefore, proponents of BYOD programs will need to find more creative ways to address security concerns.
Education, might be a possible solution in this particular scenario. Informing organizations of all their options with a realistic framework of the risk involved might start to send some decision makers the BYOD way.
Our Executive Vice President of Marketing and Products, Todd Carothers offers a different possibility. Creating and segmenting corporate apps would provide organizations with the ability to configure and manage the security controls that they deem are needed for their company.
The discussion about the merits of BYOD in an enterprise environment will continue as long as there is a level (even if minimal) of risk associated with it. The goal is to reach a point where the pros outweigh the cons and decision makers feel comfortable with its implementation. It is then that we will start to see a higher level of adoption.
