Mobility: Any time, any device, 4 challenges for your mobile strategy
Aussie companies are being increasingly pressured to allow employees to utilise their own mobile devices to access company information. Internet savvy staff who regularly access email, company databases, banking and social networks want to do so from any device, anywhere, at any time. There's a rapidly emerging trend that is being referred to as "BYOD" (bring-your-own-device), where employees are given the opportunity to access corporate information using their own mobile devices - typically smartphones and tablets.
What does this mean for your workplace? From an IT perspective, it poses significant challenges to the IT administrator especially in terms of security risks and data integrity.
According to a study conducted by Ovum in September last year, most corporations in Australia and New Zealand do not allow BYOD practices, preferring instead to provide their employees with corporate approved devices. But these policies are under increasing pressure. They also found that among those that did accept BYOD, there was a trend towards increased employee retention, satisfaction and productivity.
That's not hard to imagine; the BYOD trend allows vital information to be passed on to the right people at the right time - whether they're miles away or just out on their lunch break.
The clever small business owner will recognise this as an opportunity for a competetive edge and ensure their organisation is even more responsive in the marketplace.
For those business managers struggling with this, what points should you keep in mind?
#1 Synchronisation vs. Replication
Getting 'one version of the truth' is a common problem. How many times have you received the same email over and over on your Mobile, Desktop and Tablet. If you accept a meeting invite using your mobile, then back to the office and as you suspected, it hasn't updated your calendar. It is important that a central system co-ordinates your inbox, calendar and contacts otherwise the more devices you have the more frustrating and counter productive your digital life becomes.
#2 Remote Wipe Capabilities
Remote wipe capabilities (or in plain English, being able to delete information on mobile devices without having access to the physical device) is key, especially if sensitive corporate information is sitting on the device. An administrator or user needs the ability to remotely wipe a device clean of sensitive information should it be lost or stolen.
#3 Adding and Removing Users
One of the biggest administrative burdens of BYOD comes when people leave the company. For example, most wireless networks will have just one password, typically a pre-shared key. When an employee leaves, most organisations will just trust the ex employee's integrity and avoid the hassle of generating and disseminating a new password. By using a central authentication system, administrators may revoke access by device or person.
#4 Securing Network Traffic
When staff with mobile devices are on a public network (for example, an airport lounge or cafe), how secure is your information? What choices you make when configuring these services will make the difference between your password traveling over an open network in readable text or unreadable encryption.
What should you do next?
Make sure your approach is a balanced one. Extreme over-the-top security practices can make the system unusable, even counterproductive. You should:
- Define a balanced mobile strategy
- Figure out what kind of infrastructure you need
- Implement the plan and associated technology in a cost-effective way
CyberPro has a Mobile practice where we work with our clients to define and implement their mobile strategy. We offer a free assessment of your current environment and provide you with a report of our recommendations.
If you would like more information on the trend towards BYOD, please download our free article on the subject:
What's the mobile BYOD policy like where you work? Are there any issues you face that aren't mentioned here? Let us know in the comments section below.