Integrated approach to BYOD across device, application and network critical for enterprises: BT

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiatives bring productivity enhancements in organizations, but they are also accompanied by associated challenges like security threats and network issues.

A recent CIO survey done by Gartner highlights that as enterprises BYOD programs continue to become more commonplace, 38 percent of companies expect to stop providing devices to workers by 2016.

Also, as per Ovum’s BYOD multi-market survey 2013, 62.2 percent of employees stated that having access to corporate data outside working hours makes them most productive.

In this scenario, smart CIOs are working to ensure that they have a network that has the capacity to provide a good user experience on every mobile device accessing it.

An integrated approach to BYOD policy management across device, application and network will help CIOs manage the policy complexity of BYOD and hence deliver a more consistent, simple experience to the employee, said Sudhir Narang, managing director- India, BT, in an interaction with Infotech Lead.

Sudhir_Narang_BTBYOD is a global dynamic phenomenon that is spreading across markets or industries, Narang said. There are various organizational and human impacts of implementing the right BYOD strategy across an organization. However, the true value of a BYOD program is improved employee engagement and productivity.

The BYOD phenomenon is bringing a wave of new devices onto corporate networks. Of course businesses need to ensure that BYOD happens securely, and has the ability to manage sensitive corporate data on employee owned devices, but there are a range of Mobile Device Management and Mobile Application Management solutions available that equip the IT department with the ability to manage BYOD at the device and/or the application level.

In India, 69% of IT decision makers believe the rise of BYOD heralds a move to a new model of IT which is testimony to the fact that Indian enterprises are more than ready and willing to adopt BYOD across their enterprises, Narang said.

The growth of smart phones and tablets is primarily driving BYOD in enterprises. Smartphone and its app ecosystem are changing how individuals live and work which in turn, impacts the way organizations work and operate.

People across all socio-economic groups and markets are using smartphones and mobile applications in their personal and work lives. As per a recent BT Cisco BYOD research report, 94 percent of Indians have witnessed an increase in bandwidth demand and over 97 percent believe their organizations need to take further steps to fulfill the potential productivity gains that smart devices present.

BT is actively helping organizations implement BYOD across all areas of an organization.

To make BYOD and smart devices an active part of any business, an organization needs to consider many interdependent layers. The BT Advise BYOD Strategy and Planning Quick Start service can help organizations plan the implementation of BYOD across all areas of an organization.

For example, for end users, the service makes sure the devices meet employees’ needs now and in the future. It helps find the best policy model for procurement, liability and compliance. BT’s service also helps enterprises control new costs associated with smart devices.

With BT Advise BYOD Strategy and Planning Quick Start service, users can understand how applications change when they go mobile and choose the right device for their organization. By focusing on security, BT helps protect corporate data, minimize risk and enforce compliance.

BT’s Advise BYOD Strategy and Planning Quick Start will identify problems, outline recommendations and help organizations choose the right technology BYOD strategy for business over the long term. It will also help organizations identify the steps needed to minimize potential risks.

In India, BT has been providing networked IT solutions to global multinational companies (MNCs) expanding into this country and emerging Indian MNCs expanding into the region and globally, Narang said.

“These companies face the challenges such as security to the companies’ network and data posed by the BYOD phenomenon. But at the same time, if managed properly, BYOD can enable a much more flexible way of working and enhances productivity,” he said.

“We continue to engage our customers to understand how BYOD impacts their business operations and suggest solutions to help them leverage the opportunities brought by BYOD while at the same time mitigating the risks. We will continue to gain market share in this sphere as we provide the best-in-class solutions,” Narang further said.

Rajani Baburajan

[email protected]

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