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Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program has its own advantages and disadvantages. This article, the first in the three article series - talks about the good and bad of BYOD. The other two articles work to create a proper BYOD policy and find out mistakes to avoid while implementing it. Before proceeding to talk about the benefits of BYOD and its negatives, let us check out how the system is implemented.

What is Bring Your Own Device or BYOD

Bring Your Own Device system has been around for a while and is gaining momentum as more and more businesses opt for the system. Under the BYOD structure, employees use mobile devices that allows them to:

1. Use same device for personal and office use

2. Work from anywhere

I can classify BYOD into two distinct categories: (a) first one is where companies allow usage of employee owned devices and (b) second one where companies buy mobile devices for the employees. In each case, the implementation will differ slightly. For example, if the company is providing the device, it probably will block installations of things that are distracting: Angry Birds, for example. Also, the company may use secret software to see what you have been doing on the device. Of course, they will allow private use of the devices but that will be a little restricted.
Simply put, BYOD is a system where employees carry a mobile device that they can use to work from anywhere (using the office VPN in most cases).
BYOD Advantages

The first thing that comes to mind when talking about BYOD, is cost savings in different forms. In most cases, we assume you already own a mobile device and your company reconfigures it for business use. If that is the case, the business saves on buying the devices.

As of now, the practice of using employees' existing device is not much implemented. Rather, companies themselves buy the mobile devices, configure it and give them to the employees - in which case, the employees benefit in the following two ways:

1. They connect to the Internet using the office VPN thereby saving on the Internet costs;

2. They can work from anywhere using the same device for both business and personal uses. This relieves them from carrying more than one mobile device for personal use. Issues will arise here that might irk employees. We will talk about these issues in the negatives of using BYOD system in businesses.

Since the employees can work from anywhere, the overall productivity increases. Employees who might not make it tooffice due to bad weather or traffic, can work from home or anywhere else. This saves on employees' absence that would otherwise lead to delay in projects. In case an employee needs to leave the office early, they can later cover the pending work. For example, if an employee has an appointment, s/he can leave early, meet the doctor, go home and work from there to complete the day's targets.

BYOD also serves as a selling point. People prefer to work with companies that allow a single mobile device for both business and personal uses. If it is the traditional workplace, people may not be allowed to take their personal devices inside the office. I have seen workplaces where they do not allow even employees' cellphones inside. That, compared to being able to use a single device for both personal and business work, is a big turn off. In other words, companies with a solid BYOD system in place tend to attract better employees.

Read: Bring Your Own Device Setup and Settings in Windows 10.

BYOD Disadvantages

Again, the first one is the cost factor. Unless the company believes in allowing employees' existing devices for business, they will be spending money on buying the equipment. Add to it, the usage of Internet for personal purposes will only increasing the spending. Still, because there are other benefits attached such as mobility and better productivity, most companies are shifting to BYOD systems.

For the employee, the turn-offs could be restrictions placed on the device. I am yet to come across any employee who says organizations prohibit personal installations in BYOD atmosphere. Still, the organization's policy might go to the extent of saying NO to games and certain websites.

Another cause of concern for employees is their privacy. If they use Facebook, Twitter or something similar, the company may be able to know the login credentials. Personally, I do not believe corporate houses will go that far on snooping but the possibilities exist. Another aspect is recording or logging employee actions on the device that may give out information they won't want to share with anyone. An example could be using the device to download a pirated movie.

The most argued concern or the negatives of BYOD system is the security of company's data. Of course, the employees can access only a part of it but that part might still be enough to give out important information to others - knowingly or unconsciously. There should be a proper policy as to what the employees can share with others as well as a good exit policy: to be implemented when the employee leaves the company. A good option would be to transfer all the business data to another computer and shred the data files from the employees' device.

We will work on creating a proper Bring Your Own Device policy in the next article of the series - and have a look at Possible BYOD Mistakes too.. For this article, if you know of more advantages of BYOD or if you can point out more disadvantages of the BYOD system, please share with us.

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Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Advantages and Disadvantages

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Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program has its own advantages and disadvantages. This article, the first in the three article series - talks about the good and bad of BYOD. The other two articles work to create a proper BYOD policy and find out mistakes to avoid while implementing it.

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I cover changes to the American workplace. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

The modern workplace has begun to evolve to accommodate the new devices and new software products that allege to boost our productivity and expand the type of work that can be done. The question is, is your employer ahead of the curve?

One of the most important developments has been the emergence of mobile devices and cloud computing, which together allow workers to operate remotely, bouncing in and out of the office with regularity, and oftentimes working from home (or the location of their choice). Tablets and smartphones are more common and more convenient than laptops and desktops, so for many businesses, a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy makes sense; under this arrangement, workers may provide their own devices, and use them for both personal and professional purposes.

But BYOD policies aren't just a novelty for a handful of companies; they're quickly becoming the new norm. A recent survey suggests that 39 percent of businesses have a formal BYOD policy, a number that's growing, while other businesses may allow employees to use personal devices-but with no formalized policies. So are BYOD policies becoming the new standard? And if so, how can you make sure you work for a business that holds an effective policy?
What a BYOD Policy Needs
If you want to modernize your work and make work more convenient, you should seek an employer with a solid BYOD policy already in place. Alternatively, once in a position at a given company, you can work with leadership, or people within your own department, to implement the following strategies and create a BYOD policy from scratch:
1. Formalize your strategy (and be specific).
Every business needs a formal document explaining the policy. Don't rely on informal assumptions or conversations for BYOD rules; instead, look for specifics about what devices are allowed, how they're allowed to be used, and best practices for security. If you're unsure where to start, IT Manager Daily has a BYOD policy template that you can work from. Consult with your CTO or IT staff to determine what rules to outline from the start, and be sure to leave room for flexibility as you discover new points to cover.

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How Important Is A Bring-Your-Own-Device Policy? 5 Strategies For Millennials

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I cover changes to the American workplace. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The modern workplace has begun to evolve to accommodate the new devices and new software products that allege to boost our productivity and expand the type of work that can be done.

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BYOD (bring your own device) has been defined as the use of employee-owned mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to access business enterprise content or networks.

An effective BYOD strategy can lead to a number of benefits for businesses, including improved employee job satisfaction, increased job efficiency and flexibility. BYOD can also provide cost savings from initial device purchase to on-going usage and IT helpdesk support as employees invest in their own devices.

But allowing employees to use their own devices to access company information gives rise to a number of issues that a business must answer in order to comply with its data protection obligations.

Ownership
Many of these issues arise because of the main characteristic of BYOD that the employee owns and to some extent maintains and supports the device. As a result, the company will have much less control over the device in comparison to a device owned by the company.

An employer will need to address these BYOD issues before enabling employees to bring their own devices to work. These issues include, for example, ensuring that work data will not be merged with an employee's personal data, that non-employees, such as family members who use the device, do not access work data and, for example, what happens when an employee loses a device or resigns.

In seeking to implement a BYOD solution it is important to identify business objectives and benefits as well as taking into account security, audit and data protection requirements. A multidisciplinary team should be formed to develop a co-ordinated BYOD policy, including IT, human resources and legal.

Helpfully, the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) recently published BYOD guidance for employers on how to comply with the UK Data Protection Act 1998. By considering data protection risks at the outset, a business can embed data protection at the core of its business activities and raise overall data protection and security standards.

Employers should consider use of sandbox and ring-fencing data

BYOD business policy
Central to the guidance is having a clear BYOD policy so employees connecting their devices to the company IT systems clearly understand their responsibilities. An implementation plan could also lead to a better separation of data. An audit should also be carried out on the types of personal data to be accessed and the devices to be used.

The ICO guidance also says data security is a prime concern for employers and importantly BYOD should not introduce vulnerabilities into existing secure environments.

Employers should also consider the use of a sandbox or ring-fencing of data, such as by keeping data contained within a specific app, as well as ensuring that, if the device is lost, the data on it is kept confidential and retained via a backup facility.

In terms of legal risk, losing employee or client data could result in the company breaching the UK Data Protection Act, which could leave the company vulnerable to legal claims brought by the employee or client in question or a fine imposed by the ICO.

To address the data protection and security breach risks, the ICO guidance recommends companies consider the following:

Which type of corporate data can be processed on personal devices

How to encrypt and secure access to the corporate data

How the corporate data should be stored on the personal devices

How and when the corporate data should be deleted from the personal devices

How the data should be transferred from the personal device to the company servers

Security
The ICO also recommends installing antivirus software on personal devices, providing technical support to the employees on their personal devices when they are used for business purposes and having in place a "BYOD Acceptable Use Policy" providing guidance to users on how they can use their own devices to process corporate and personal data. It should also be clear to employees that they can only process corporate personal data for corporate purposes.

The ICO also highlights the BYOD risks associated with increased monitoring at work by the technical measures that the company could put in place in order to ensure the security of the company data processed by the employees on their personal devices.

The monitoring could include, for example, recording the geo-location of the personal devices or monitoring the internet traffic on the personal devices. Companies must inform employees of the extent of the monitoring and ensure they are satisfied that the monitoring is justified by the real benefits and does not unnecessarily infringe on privacy.

The use of personal devices in the workplace continues to rise, as do the potential legal and data protection risks, and so businesses need to think carefully about BYOD and put in place appropriate policies and processes to tackle these issues and thereby minimise the risks with BYOD.

Ultimately, businesses are responsible for the security of company data and data protection requirements regardless of the ownership of the device and therefore need to act responsibly with BYOD.
William Long is a partner at law firm Sidley Austin

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BYOD: data protection and information security issues

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BYOD (bring your own device) has been defined as the use of employee-owned mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to access business enterprise content or networks. An effective BYOD strategy can lead to a number of benefits for businesses, including improved employee job satisfaction, increased job efficiency and flexibility.

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Before allowing employees to use their own smartphones and tablets, organizations should have a clear understanding of BYOD pros and cons and their potential long-term effects.

The bring your own device ( BYOD) movement has taken the enterprise by storm, and it's not likely to subside anytime soon. Organizations large and small have been steadily embracing BYOD, citing cost savings and increased productivity as their primary motives. Yet additional support and management costs, as well as risks to sensitive data, can easily outweigh such benefits.

BYOD pros

Users have grown accustomed to -- and indeed expect -- the ease, efficiency and mobility their smartphones and tablets offer. So enamored are they with their devices, they've begun bringing them into the workplace and using them to do their jobs. The BYOD trend can make it easier for workers to accomplish their tasks, thanks to simple-to-use mobile applications that allow employees to access and share data more smoothly. Users can work just about anywhere at any time without having to save files to flash drives or email documents from one account to another.

Users can also update smartphones and tablet software more easily than traditional corporate technology, which means their devices tend to stay more current and cutting-edge. Workers are also more invested in their own devices and can customize them to meet their own needs. And the flexibility BYOD offers makes employees more likely to put in more hours each week, regardless of where they're located or the time of day.

Yet BYOD can mean more than increased productivity. Employees who use their own devices for work might save their employers money, at least in some areas. The most obvious savings, of course, are with the devices themselves. Organizations that would normally provide devices to their mobile workers no longer need to, and the workers themselves require fewer training resources. BYOD can even minimize application outlay if workers take advantage of the many consumer apps available to do their jobs, such as Evernote and Dropbox. Workers often pay for most or all the data and voice services, as well as other associated expenses. As a result, the enterprise avoids spending money on devices their workers don't want in the first place, and workers are more likely to take better care of the devices, which can reduce support costs and improve security.

BYOD cons

Despite the advantages that BYOD programs offer, implementing one should not be taken lightly. Take, for example, the assumption that BYOD will result in cost savings. Although true in some areas, the enterprise must often commit resources in other ways. Line-of-business applications must be adapted for different devices, increasing support costs and making centralized app management necessary. For this reason, many organizations dole out funds for mobile management tools to control personal devices and their applications.

Companies will also need to develop the strategies and policies necessary to implement a BYOD program and enforce those policies once the program has been put in place. In addition, organizations must invest in educating employees on the risks and responsibilities associated with using their devices in the workplace.

IT can expect increased support costs associated with helping employees comply with BYOD policies. Developers will call on admins to help plan and implement apps on the various devices, and admins will have to simultaneously ensure that the implementations don't put corporate resources at risks. IT must also be prepared for the additional strain on the corporate infrastructure from personal devices connecting to their internal systems.

Yet even more important than the costs incurred by a BYOD program are the security risks of letting workers store sensitive data on their own devices. What happens if a device is lost, stolen or infected with malware? A company has less control over the devices it doesn't own, making it easier for sensitive data to be compromised. Company-issued devices usually come with an acceptable-use policy, but it's a lot more difficult for IT to tell workers what is acceptable on their own smartphones and tablets. Plus, when an employee leaves the company, his device leaves too, and the organization might be unable to reclaim sensitive data.

At the same time, IT must contend with workers' privacy concerns about employer access to personal contacts, messages, emails, installed apps and other data. IT should be able to protect the organization's sensitive data while preserving workers' rights to privacy, which is not always an easy balance to maintain.

An organization planning a BYOD program must also take into account any compliance mandates that govern information security and safeguard specific data. Even if workers use their own devices, the organization must still ensure that the data is protected as required by regulation and law. The enterprise must also understand the liability it faces if sensitive data is compromised, whether or not the storage or transmission of that information is governed regulations. Planning a BYOD strategy should no doubt include seeking out legal advice, not only for understanding liability issues, but privacy as well.

Moving ahead with BYOD

Implementing a program requires careful consideration of BYOD pros and cons. But the tide is tough to turn back, and many organizations are accepting the trend as a fait accompli. Before an organization implements a BYOD program, it should have in place a set of policies that fully explain acceptable use of personal devices in the workplace. The policies should address such issues as securing data, application usage, protecting privacy, compliance and what happens when an employee loses a device or leaves the company. Each employee who participates in the program must fully understand and agree to those policies.

A big part of planning a BYOD program should be determining how enterprise apps will be delivered and maintained. Fortunately, mobile application management tools are maturing quickly, making it possible to more easily separate enterprise apps and data from personal information. Some organizations are moving to an app-only management strategy in which the focus is on enterprise apps and how sensitive data is stored and shared on devices, eliminating the need to manage devices themselves. Some organizations have implemented virtual environments or virtual private networks to avoid any sensitive data being stored on workers' devices. Whatever strategy the organization employs, it should be implemented in conjunction with the BYOD program and its policies, not thrown in as an afterthought.

The success of a program will depend in large part on how well the organization understands the BYOD pros and cons and what it will take to mitigate risks. IT should know how workers will be using their personal devices to conduct business and have the ability to ensure data cannot be easily compromised. In the end, a well-defined program and well-educated workforce are the best strategies for ensuring a successful BYOD program.

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BYOD pros and cons: Spend less on devices, more on support

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Before allowing employees to use their own smartphones and tablets, organizations should have a clear understanding of BYOD pros and cons and their potential long-term effects. The bring your own device ( BYOD) movement has taken the enterprise by storm, and it's not likely to subside anytime soon.

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Schools need BYOD because it is more modern and more convenient

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https://www.technologyfirst.org/magazine-articles/125-june-2013/855-sam-spurlock-roundtower.html

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What level of support will be available for initial connections to your network from personally- owned devices?

What kind of support will IT representatives provide for broken devices (i.e. data recovery)?

Will you limit helpdesk to support to email and calendaring, or will you support other personal information management-type applications?

What if a problem with a specific personal application is preventing access to the applications you have previously defined as supported?

Is your support basically a “wipe and reconfigure” operation?

Will you provide loaner devices for employees while their phone or tablet is being serviced?

What is the exit strategy for terminating employees to ensure proper recovery and wiping of company data?

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http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Your-Computer-Into-A-Server-in-10-Minutes-fr/

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As children across the nation return to school, many are going armed with their own computational tools. From laptops to tablets and smartphones, schools and universities across the globe are testing out a more dynamic learning environment, where students bring and use their choice of technologically assistive devices in the classroom. Despite the obvious benefits, the influx of mobile technology in educational systems has also provoked backlash from parents and teachers alike, similar to the BYOD backlash witnessed within enterprise IT departments in the past few years.

Educational institutions are ultimately presented two options: adopt a BYOD program, embracing the technology trend, encouraging student participation, and expanding curriculum to include BYOD-driven topics, or to impose of a BYOD policy, setting rules to govern the presence and practice of these potentially disruptive devices.
Welcome to the 21st Century, Parents
In the Policy camp, concerned parents site the potential negative impact of allowing unfettered digital connectivity in schools. No parent I know would argue for unrestricted, unmonitored online access for kids of any age - kids will be kids after all. And these concerns are valid. Concerns include:

Distractions of games and videos

Unmonitored social networking leading to bullying or predation

Consumption (and creation) of inappropriate content

Social status and stigma of devices

But let's face it. Personal computing changed the nature of human life forever. It's latest incarnation in the tablet and smartphone makes the information revolution more personal and ever-present, certainly. The smartphone's connectedness and portability gives us a glimpse into what life will be like in the middle and end of the 21st Century.

The impact of these devices on the lives of adults and children of today is amazing but it is only the beginning. We are experiencing a wave of innovation in digital assistive devices which has more water ahead of it than behind it. Consider the hints of the next generation that are already coming to life in wearable devices like Google Glass. The end of the wave will leave us in the realm of science fiction, perhaps the direct augmentation of the human form to incorporate computational aids. Exciting. Scary.

OK. Take a step back. You need not be a visionary to grasp the obvious reality that in today's world people are never without their smartphone and rarely out of range of a network connection. Why? Because the human condition is radically improved by the immediacy of information and social interconnectedness that these devices enable. My smartphone has become a seamless compliment to my human brain. With my brain and my smartphone on, I am more powerful. And being more powerful is naturally addictive. We are all more powerful beings armed with our devices. We can also be more distracted beings but naturally every adaption comes with drawbacks. But asking someone to give up their smartphone is akin to asking a citizen of the 1950's to surrender their clothing. So, whose responsibility is it to teach our children to leverage these mega powerful tools for their own betterment? Whose responsibility is it to teach responsible use?
BYOD in the Classroom
In this decade, it is no less important to teach children how to use their other technology "brains" as it is to teach them to use their physical brains - to ignore such an obvious and powerful augmentation would be irresponsible. Certainly there are better ways to use digital devices to make us more effective beings. These better ways should be taught.

Consider for a moment that Writing is a technology - an old technology but, at the time of its introduction, a revolutionary one. Written language allowed humans to capture and store knowledge: to disseminate that knowledge beyond the natural boundaries of time and space. And knowledge is power. Today it would be unthinkable not to teach children how to read and to write - to leverage this old technology - in order to expand their horizons beyond the spoken word. By the end of the decade, it will be considered just as unthinkable to deprive children of their computational tools for the very same reasoning as we apply to writing technology.

So how are teachers and administrators to cope with the risks of unfettered online access with the responsibility to teach students how to leverage this irreplaceable technology? Look to lessons learned in the parallel adoption of desktop computers in the educational environments for patterns and best-practices to adapt and adopt. Seek tools to manage content access to block for young users, to advise for older users. Put policy and technology in place that recognizes that the devices will beyond the control of the school today. Surround the access points with security not the devices themselves. Leverage the speed of these new technologies to discover and participate in experiments with pioneering institutions in the digital world.
Beyond the Classroom
And how are parents to cope with the risks of unfettered online access at school and on the bus with the responsibility to teach your children how to safely embrace digital technologies without loosing sight of the real world? Start by supporting your local school in their efforts with BYOD and technology initiatives. Associating technology with learning in the minds of our children is an important psychological link to establish. These are not JUST tools for playing games. When you read to your children, consider doing so with both physical books and ebooks. Help children to expand their association with the devices beyond the short-attention span media that they are encountering in the entertainment arena by exposing them to deeper, calmer sources of interaction like ebooks. Demonstrate that devices can be used for knowledge consumption and knowledge contribution. Show them how you manage your work life and home life with the help of your own devices. Talk about etiquette for email and SMS in the same way that you discuss the polite ways to interact personally.

By acknowledging that smartphones, tablets, and laptops are a factual component in the lives of every human being and by embracing openly and actively in the exploratory use of these tools for both education and entertainment we are opening the door for our students that leads to the heart of the 21st century experience.
Tim Panagos is CTO of Point.io.

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The Future of Education: BYOD in the Classroom

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As children across the nation return to school, many are going armed with their own computational tools. From laptops to tablets and smartphones, schools and universities across the globe are testing out a more dynamic learning environment, where students bring and use their choice of technologically assistive devices in the classroom.