BYOD lets employees answer personal email or check out social media while in the workplace, but more so, it allows them to work from nearly anywhere at any time, even when off the clock. This raises the question about the possibility of compromising company security and connectivity.
There’s no doubt that BYOD is a growing trend. In fact, a study released by Grand View Research, Inc. states that more than 35 percent of companies will adopt this policy by 2016 and half of all companies will require it by 2017. By 2020, that number is expected to grow to 75 percent in most industries.
About BES 10
Mobile communications giant, BlackBerry, feels that it has the answer to the growing concern of balancing private and work lives when implementing a BYOD policy. Take for example the company’s BlackBerry Enterprise Server 10 (BES 10) software which offers a single solution for securing and managing Android, BlackBerry 10 and iOS for iPhones. Its three-servers-in-one can be installed on one virtual or physical server as well as on separate servers if desired.
The platform offers users:
- Multi-OS device, app and security management through one management console while keeping different groups of devices separate.
- Flexible levels of security to end user and business needs.
- User-friendly management console.
- Ability to separate personal and work content for data leak prevention.
- Application management functionality to consistently manage applications.
- Technical support that’s tailored to you or your business’ needs.
How BES10 Helps Find Balance
Perhaps the best feature of BES10 is the ability to separate work and personal data on one device. The software allows you to keep your personal apps and emails in a compartmentalized hub. This protects a user from accidentally sending personal pictures or emails from their work account, thus preventing any cross leakage.
The technology also helps create balance as it means users only have to manage a single device. They don’t have to worry about charging two different smartphones, carrying both of them around, or buying accessories for both devices. Rather than having one smartphone dedicated to work and one for personal use, users can access all of their emails, calls and messages on one device.
Another way BES10 helps users is negate the need to train on a new devices. If an employee has never used their issued work device before, they’ll have to spend a few hours training on the new smartphone. Or they might have to do research and train themselves. This could take up their personal time. However, if an employee is able to use their personal device at work they won’t have to do any training as they are already familiar with the smartphone.
In addition to not having to train on a new device, employees also don’t have to worry about downloading the required work apps on their smartphones. The company’s IT department can seamlessly download and update apps on each employee’s phone remotely. This saves employees the time and hassle required to download and manage work apps.
Facing BYOD Challenges
There are significant benefits for companies to adopt a BYOD policy. Besides increasing productivity, the policy can overhaul a company’s bottom line because it won’t need to provide the device and its accompanying technical support. Many larger corporations and businesses implemented this strategy for a variety of reasons but mostly because it can decrease capital expenditures for licensing, training and software purchases.
BES 10 for BYOD is easy to administer for BlackBerry 10, Android and iOS devices. Its single management console dashboard easily creates reports about device security and compliance, as well as top applications used. More than 30,000 firms worldwide are using BES 10, including Morgan Stanley and Boeing.
Although more and more companies are implementing BYOD policies, workers can still find balance between their career and personal lives with software like BES 10.
About the author –
Jennifer Thayer is a technology writer who enjoys writing about gadgets, apps and the latest tech news. Follow her on Twitter.
