Is BYOD a Good Idea?

You’ve no doubt spent a good chunk of the last six months trying to figure out the best way to get work done. Work-from-home, Zoom meetings, or even staggered working hours have taken over our jobs, and with it, we’ve changed the way we interact with our work-based technology.

Prior to the pandemic, the topic of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) practices in the workplace was an interesting way to offset IT costs. Today, as we scramble to keep our workforces productive in a wholly unique climate, it’s as if many of us have been forced into implementing some sort of BYOD strategy.

First, let’s define it – BYOD is a practice where employees can use their own devices (phones, laptops, tablets, etc.) for work instead of using hardware provided by the company.

The benefits of BYOD include:

• Savings – Obviously, if the employee is buying the hardware, the company isn’t. This leads us to our next benefit…
• Condition – Employees are more likely to protect their hardware because they paid for it.
• Learning Curve – As the device and OS are most likely something the employee is familiar with, it will take them less time, if any, to get familiar with its operation.
• Improved Morale – Nobody complains about the quality of company hardware because employees choose exactly the devices they prefer.

There are drawbacks, however, and those include:

• IT Support – Offering technical support can be more difficult with a diverse array of devices, manufacturers, and operating systems.
• Security Risks – Confidential or proprietary data is harder to secure when the device is personally owned by the employee.
• Privacy – Both the company and the employee lose privacy under a BYOD system.

Prior to the pandemic, the general wisdom said a BYOD system, while offering some benefits, ultimately had more negatives than positives. Some industry analysts even suggested we were headed toward a movement where most people would use a work-provided phone as their primary phone, instead of maintaining separate personal and work devices.

We’re still not sure how it’s going to shake out, but CDR Global is ready to help provide you with support through either scenario.

If you choose to pursue a BYOD-style IT plan, we can help recapture value from unused hardware and ensure that any decommissioned equipment is thoroughly sanitized of sensitive data relating to your staff, customers, or operations. Should you be moving toward a cloud-based architecture, we can also assist you in deciding when to upgrade your systems so you can maximize the resale value of your current hardware, or possibly even save precious resources by incorporating refurbished equipment.

Should you decide the traditional, employer-provided device strategy works best for you, our full-service ITAD solution is ready to help you make the most of your IT budget. Through a well-considered ITAD plan, you can maintain the agility, security, and cost-effectiveness your leadership demands while providing the hardware you need to maximize your productivity.

No matter what you choose, CDR Global will help you meet your strategic goals while keeping your data secure and pursuing a strategy of re-use wherever possible.

If you’re considering a change to your IT plan in response to this new landscape, get together with one of CDR Global’s ITAD specialists to create an ITAD plan that lets you leverage your IT budget to compete at a higher level.