What does the future hold for byod?

Across many industries, the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend has gained momentum in recent years and continues to grow. In fact, according to a study by global consultancy Hexa Research, the BYOD market is predicted to exceed $350B by 2022. As this trend matures and becomes more widely adopted, there are new aspects companies must take into account when formalizing BYOD policies, as well as principles that remain consistent with the increased use of personal devices for work.

Here, we offer a look at some of the emerging developments organizations should be aware of related to BYOD, as well as foundational principles that can help your organization today, and in the future.

New considerations for a new business landscape

Increased protections for employee privacy

There is a significant amount of cross-pollination of applications when employees use their personal devices. For example, the Philips SpeechLive app is part of an advanced dictation solution compatible with smartphones – a key feature of this technology when it comes to convenience. To ensure that business-related data remains separated from other data or applications on the smartphone, organizations should undertake a thorough vetting process when choosing new software to incorporate into their tech stack.

The rise of CYOD (“choose your own device”)

CYOD takes BYOD one step further, allowing employees the flexibility to shift between using company-issued and personal devices. This type of agility is becoming more of a necessity for today’s professionals, as increased pace of business and client expectations often demand the ability to work anytime, anywhere. Cloud-enabled technologies, including advanced speech-to-text solutions, offer the same robust capabilities whether someone is working from his or her personal or company-provided laptop, tablet, or phone, and whether any of those devices are Android, Apple or any other operating system. As these speech-to-text solutions are web-based, users can simply open a browser or connect through an app to continue doing their work.

While it’s important to keep a close eye on these emerging trends, it’s equally important to couple these considerations with some things that remain unchanged when it comes to BYOD policies and practices…

A reminder on BYOD basics

Security requirements

This is perhaps the most talked-about topic when it comes to BYOD, and for good reason. A robust, comprehensive security program is critical for any company allowing BYOD practices as employees always have their personal devices with them, making them vulnerable to device theft. Because people typically do not maintain structured schedules and records or follow specific decommissioning procedures when selling or upgrading their personal smartphones and computers, there is additional potential for risk to the employer organization from unsecured devices. This is why end-to-end (E2E) encryption, password requirements and clearly defined personal device policies are some of the must-haves when any organization is using BYOD.

Tracking & audit trails

To complement a strong corporate security posture, companies should also have tools to track access, activity and usage of applications and data. For instance, dictation solutions such as Philips SpeechLive can be centrally managed, making it easier to create audit trails and thereby enabling IT departments to investigate and address any potential vulnerabilities or security issues. SpeechLive offers administrator and office manager users the capability to manage workflows remotely – this makes maintenance as well as out-of office scheduling and planning between employees extremely convenient as there are no fixed installations of software to manage.

Ease of use

The reason many employees choose to use their own devices for business purposes is that they are a convenient extension of their normal day-to-day routine. But cumbersome applications slow down their workflows, so any work-related software on personal devices must not only be powerful enough to do what the job requires, but intuitive enough to enable quick adoption and seamless integration into existing workstreams to support maximum productivity for team members. Take, for example, the insurance adjusters at Crawford & Company, who face long hours and challenging field conditions on a regular basis. Adopting user-friendly, innovative Philips dictation tools allowed them to maintain focus on their job while taking advantage of proven solutions to fully optimize their workday.

Making BYOD work for your organization

Organizations must choose the approach to company- and employee-owned devices that’s right for their unique teams, the nature of their work and their corporate culture. As a global leader in speech-to-text technology, Philips offers not only the advanced solutions that can enable secure, reliable business processes through BYOD, but the customized consultation to create the right implementation for your company.

To find out more about our ‘BYOD’ solutions or for a free demonstration of the products, contact us on or visit our website at www.speech.co.za

You can also try out Philips SpeechLive for yourself with a 14 day FREE trial:

Before any major business decision, particularly those that will affect each and every one of your employees, it’s important to weigh the benefits against the disadvantages. So let’s start with a good, old-fashioned pros and cons list.  

BYOD Benefits

Increased Employee Productivity

The main (and most exciting) benefit associated with a BYOD policy is increased employee productivity. This should come as no surprise, since it makes sense that employees would feel more comfortable using their own devices instead of ones their employer has picked for them. According to BT Global Services, 42% of employees say their productivity has improved since their employer adopted a BYOD policy. As an employer, that’s probably enough to make you think: “WOW! That’s all it takes? We’ve got to implement this as soon as possible!”

Guess what? It gets better. Studies show that employees work more hours and are generally more engaged in the workplace when using personal devices. According to Fliplet, companies gain an extra 240 hours of work per year from employees due to mobile working. Not only are devices taking over the workplace, but they’re allowing your employees to work on flexible schedules and stay in constant contact with their peers, subordinates, and clients. We can certainly understand why organizations are eager to maximize productivity and output year-over-year with a BYOD policy.

Cost Reduction

Every organization out there is looking to cut costs, especially when it comes to mobility. Device costs represent a big chunk of an organization’s IT budget, and this chunk is only expected to grow as new technologies make their way into the office. According to Gartner, worldwide IT spending in 2019 was a whopping $3.79 trillion, a 1.1 percent increase from 2018. Connecting and empowering your workforce comes with a hefty price tag, so cost should always be a top consideration when evaluating ownership models, mobility software, or management providers. 

It’s often difficult for organizations to keep up with recent technology launches and trends. With a new iPhone model coming out every year, it would be incredibly costly and time-consuming for companies to continually purchase new devices for their employees to stay up-to-date. A BYOD policy allows your employees to pick and shop for their own devices, taking the pressure off your internal team.

Employee Experience

We’ve left our personal favorite for last: employee satisfaction. Your organization should consider implementing a BYOD model because employees tend to prefer this model to the corporate-liable one. Not only do they feel more comfortable using their own devices, but they gain the flexibility to work remotely, which is becoming increasingly common across the globe.

Studies show that, whether you like it or not, your employees are already using their personal devices at work, usually without the knowledge of your IT department. A recent Microsoft study found that 67% of people use their personal devices at work regardless of the organization’s official device policy. This trend is known as shadow IT, and it can have a detrimental impact on your IT department’s ability to control and monitor enterprise data. Instead of forcing your employees to use their devices secretly, compromising everyone’s security, let them do what comes naturally.

BYOD Disadvantages

Security Concerns

The main disadvantage of BYOD is the security concern associated with allowing employees to access confidential information on personal devices, particularly outside of the workplace. Under BYOD, it is more difficult to enforce security compliance. In fact, end users may object to intrusive security requirements such as remote wipe, making it more challenging to enforce these policies. We’ll delve deeper into BYOD security in an upcoming section, which covers measures organizations should take to best secure corporate and employee privacy. 

Most enterprises put off or reject implementing a BYOD policy because they are not prepared to handle the cybersecurity threats that often come along with it. The Verizon 2019 Data Breach Investigation Report found that 80% of breaches stem from stolen or weak credentials on employee phones and laptops. As a result, it’s critically important to have the systems and processes in place to avoid or prevent leaks.

Program Administration Challenges

Most organizations struggle with tracking personal devices and responding to helpdesk support requests under a BYOD program. After all, you’re dealing with hundreds of devices across a number of operating systems, wireless networks, and geographies.

Many organizations continue to rely on their internal IT department to manage their mobility ecosystems despite the substantial cost savings and optimizations associated with outsourcing such responsibilities to an expert mobility management partner. BYOD program administration responsibilities can range from device approval to inventory management to corporate compliance, many of which involve time-consuming manual processes that hurt the department’s overall productivity. 

Until now, most large enterprises have outsourced IT help desk services to overseas call centers in order to minimize costs, which creates an inconsistent and frustrating UX. Employees often wait for days, if not weeks, to receive stipend reimbursements, which diminishes their productivity (more on this later). Given the critical importance of the user experience in the mobility ecosystem, many organizations have chosen to work with an MMS provider that can take over helpdesk services to streamline customer support. The goal is to create a smooth, flexible mobile work environment for employees while still achieving the cost benefits of a BYOD program.