How to Set Up a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) Policy

Today, smartphones, tablets and laptops are essential communication tools for almost everyone from globetrotting CEOs to students. But the wide diversity of devices, applications and users has created a policy headache for large enterprises, small businesses, governments and educational institutions. There are myriad practical, legal, technical and financial questions to consider in a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy. What is BYOD and how do you set up a BYOD policy? Just some ideas include:

  • Should the organization supply smartphones or tablets to some users?
  • What devices should be purchased and which applications should be supported?
  • What restrictions, if any, should be placed on those company-owned devices?
  • Is the organization’s network robust enough to handle the requirements of those mobile devices and applications?
  • What happens if a company-owned device is lost or stolen?
  • What are the potential legal and financial liabilities of providing employees with company-owned devices?
  • Is there a “help desk” or administrator in place to answer questions, handle software upgrades and help users maximize their mobile devices?

Faced with these challenges, it’s not surprising that 55 percent of large organizations have no formal BYOD policy, according to consultant Robert Harris of Communications Advantage, Inc., who moderated a workshop on “How to Make BYOD Successful” at Enterprise Connect 2013, a March conference in Orlando.

At that session, Shannon Tolle, IT Communications Director, City of Scottsdale, spoke of her experience in replacing BlackBerry devices with iPhones for police and firefighters.

“What we quickly learned was that implementing the technology was relatively easy, but it’s much more difficult to address the impact on our organization and its culture,” she said. “We found that it was very important to get users involved in the policy-making at an early stage. Now, we are moving forward, but it’s definitely a work in progress.”

When developing a BYOD policy, industry consultants recommend creating a team that includes legal, human resources and financial professionals, as well as end-users. That diversity of backgrounds is important for identifying the initial challenges—such as privacy concerns or legal liabilities—as well as developing a workable policy. Most importantly, the human resources department should be sure to keep employees informed of the new policy, as well as any implementation procedures. Since mobile technology remains an evolving field, a BYOD policy should be reviewed on a regular basis so the organization can keep moving forward.

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