We’re seeing many companies embracing the digital revolution and its changing the way they do business. Workforces are becoming more fluid and more mobile. The boundaries between work life and home life are blurring. Hot desking is becoming more common.
Those with large freelance workforces in particular are increasingly allowing staff to bring their own devices to work (commonly known as Bring Your Own Device or BYOD) and whilst this may seem like a good thing for those trying to keep hardware budgets under control it can have some undesirable impacts.
Firstly, access to shared resources such as printers needs to be considered. Its no good saving money on hardware if you then waste it trying to configure printer drivers on a hundred different devices.
Then there is security. If staff are working on their own machines and then taking these home with them there are some serious potential security problems. Its difficult to track what files they are taking home with them and what software they may be inflicting on the network while they are at work.
Another consideration is software licensing. You’ll want to know that the software they use is licensed and up to date.
Some companies have reigned back from BYOD and instead offer staff a selection of approved machines from a pre-vetted list. This has become known as Choose Your Own Device or CYOD and whilst it does limit some of the risks of BYOD it also waters down many of the benefits.
At Managed Technology we believe that, with a little planning, it is possible to enjoy the flexibility of BYOD without exposing your business. We have a range of software solutions available that allow controlled access to stored files and shared printing resources. We even offer a cloud based print solution that allows mobile visitors to easily use devices to print documents.
So if you’re part of the revolution and embracing the fluid workforce talk to us about implementing a controlled, secure and flexible workplace strategy.