With the rise of smart devices such as phones and tablets entering the workplace and connecting to corporate networks, there are a number of approaches to help you embrace the trend and protect your network. The only problem is acronyms such as BYOD, CYOD and COPE don’t actually make it easy to decide the right option for your business.
In this article I’ll try to clear the fog around the topic so you can make an informed decision on how to take your organisation forward.
As the name implies Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) gives your employees the freedom to use personal devices for work purposes. Connecting the devices to the corporate network and in some cases reimbursing any service plan costs involved.
Pros
Cons
Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) is ideal for organisations who don’t want employees connecting personal devices to IT infrastructures. Instead you can offer a range of pre-approved devices to your employees to use.
Pros
Cons
Company Owned Personally Enabled (COPE) is viewed by many businesses as the complete solution, where cost effectiveness meets security. You choose what applications are pre-loaded to support your staff. Plus, you control your firewall and how data is used.
COPE is a flexible solution for employees who can choose their own device and still have the facility for personal messages, phones calls and emails.
If security and administration is not a significant concern then BYOD could be your ideal solution. However if you have any form of concern about the safety or management of your information we would definitely recommend choosing a CYOD or COPE mobile device strategy.
Whatever mobile device strategy you choose to move forward with, a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution will help you to secure, monitor and manage your fleet of mobile devices, making it easier to implement policies and security measures to prevent data loss or security breaches.
Contact us for advice on your mobile device strategy
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