Telework USA

Clip of the Day: Dr. John

For the past year, the IT world has been in the thrall of the “bring your own device” (BYOD) approach to mobility. The thinking, which goes along with the concept known as “the consumerization of IT” is pretty simple: Most people own sophisticated devices capable of doing what is necessary for their jobs. Instead of issuing corporate smartphones and tablets, simply let people use their own. Workers are reimbursed and only need carry one device, the company saves a ton of money on capex and infrastructure, and everyone is happy.

Indeed, on many levels it is a win/win.

Sounds great. And as with most new and compelling ideas, there is a tendency to gloss over the downside. Joanie Wexler at Webtorials points out the challenges of BYOD. She quotes a couple of experts who point out that larger companies may not save as much as it initially appears. One of the big advantages, the piece says, is that organizations won’t need to service and support equipment. The reality is that employees still will come running to IT if there is a problem or question, regardless of who owns the device. She also points out that regulatory requirements may preclude use of non-corporate devices and special equipment generally not on consumer devices – such as scanners – in many cases are required.

The piece doesn’t conclude that BYOD is a bad idea. It simply says that it may not be the way to go for all organizations – especially big ones – and that mixed environments are a good option for some organizations.

Teleworkers obviously have a big stake in this debate. Clearly, whether or not an organization has a BYOD policy isn’t the make or break decision point in considering a job offer, especially in this economy. Still, it behooves a job seeker to find out whether a prospective employer has such a program or, if not, whether one is under consideration. Likewise, employees with a job who like the idea can ask whether such a program exists or may in the future. If an existing program is voluntary, the employee should pay careful attention to the details: What happens if a device is lost? Is everything on the device – including the employee’s personal data – remotely deleted? How much is the stipend? If these rules are not available in written form or online, employees should beware.