BYOD; The Good, The Bad, and The Divided

Almost as dramatic as the 1966 Clint Eastwood western (The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly) is the talk and opinions about the BYOD (Bring your own device) revolution. I think the lesson learned, as in the western, is to be ahead of the game… at least 10 steps ahead. As a business leader (perhaps CIO, entrepreneur, and otherwise), certainly knowing the benefits and risks of BYOD is key. For Telecom Agents, being knowledgeable is always profitable.

With the Smartphone/ iPhones, tablets, and laptops, people can do business any time, from anywhere. In fact tablets outsold PC’s or desktops last year. Website visits are coming from mobile users.

Similar to the Cloud, a business really needs to have a strategy in place before adopting BYOD practices, evaluating the pros and cons to determine (and deal with) security risks. Basically, the benefits must outweigh the risks.

The debates continue:

  • Employee
    chooses device versus controlling the types of devices and uses.
  • Going mobile versus chained to a desk.
  • More productive versus more risk.
  • Effectiveness versus costs of networks and other cost for usage.
  • Employee empowerment and choices versus lack of IT support

How to decide:

  1. First question is…’Is it doable?” Find out from a Telecom Agent at NW MAP if BYOD is manageable and appropriate for your business (type of business and/or size).
  2. Employee surveys- finding out who would use them and what they think about it. Some research has shown employees would accept a lower paying job if able to use their own devices.

How to do it:

  1. Talk to your Telecom Broker or Agent.
  2. The current thought and what many businesses are allowing is BYOD but with limited support. Issues with this is of course security but also employee satisfaction with limited support. Allowed with full IT support is optimal, but your choices are not allowing it, allowing with minimal support, allowing with full support, and allowing with no support.
  3. Check and evaluate network capacity. Most people using BYOD have 2-3 devices.
  4. Money! Realize BYOD will not eliminate costs, but rather place them in areas of support functions rather than devices.

With BYOD, it seems employee satisfaction varies – employees either love it or hate it. Truth is, companies want, no need, their employees to be connected, especially to what is
happening now…information and communication at the speed of light. Employers are equally on the fence as about 40% of companies allow it.

Contact a NW MAP Telecom Agent: https://nwmap.com/contact-us

 

With BYOD, it seems employee satisfaction varies – employees either love it or hate it. Truth is, companies want, no need, their employees to be connected, especially to what is
happening now…information and communication at the speed of light. We’ll see how it all unfolds.

How To Attract The Next Generation Workforce To Your Business

IT leaders have known for years the value and benefit of efficient and new technologies for businesses.

  • Being able to share information, globally if necessary.
  • Improve customer service
  • Increase productivity
  • Cut costs in several departments
  • Reduce carbon footprint
  • Reduce absenteeism
  • Business runs more efficiently
  • Improve communications

An additional benefit is attracting the new generations in the workforce to your business. These employees are tech savvy and greatly appreciate new and efficient technology. They work well in groups, requiring the appropriate technology to keep them connected. Video conferencing, virtual teams, telecommuting, email/voicemail technologies, and wireless devices attract the next generation who have the capabilities to transform your business.

Implementing  a new system or new technologies can require employee training and ongoing assurance of company-wide acceptance. The benefit of attracting the next generation workforce is adding an addition to your company that embraces new technologies. It opens a door to opportunities for companies and employees with various work arrangements, whether employees travel or work from home occasionally.

The benefits far outweigh any hesitation a business may have about implementing new technology. Often times, businesses are astonished by the money they save. Telecom Brokers at NWMAP save their clients money by having access to over 40 carriers in the Telecom business, negotiating prices with those carriers, and searching for specific packages that benefit the client’s business specifically. New technology should always benefit a business.