The advent of BYOD or Bring Your Own Device must have been good news for businesses of all sizes, especially budding startups. It’s because among many other benefits, the policy of allowing your employees to use their own devices for work saves you cash, lots of it. And that’s just what you need to fare well in today’s struggling economy.
It’s no wonder why a lot of businesses now have BYOD in place or at least plan on adopting a BYOD policy. Gartner, the world’s leading IT research company, predicts that 90% of companies will allow BYOD by 2014; while 70% of mobile business professionals will conduct work on personal devices by 2018.
But if truth be told, BYOD isn’t all beer and skittles. So don’t get too caught up in the savings. It’s because if and when implemented erroneously, just like what most of its critics say, BYOD might actually mean “Bring Your Own Disaster” for your business.
BYOD Opens your Doors to Security Risks
In an infographic by Webroot, an Internet security provider, it said that IT professionals perceive serious corporate security risks brought about by BYOD. 35% of them are due to lost or stolen devices, 27% loss of company or customer data, 18% due to employee misuse of devices, and 11% mobile malware.
However, 69% of businesses currently do not have a security solution in place despite the radical adoption of a BYOD policy. And when asked why that’s the case, 49% of businesses say that they do not observe big enough security threats to warrant an investment in pricey BYOD security solutions, says a survey by IT network Spiceworks.
Then Comes Divide App for iOS and Android
Though a matter of opinion, most people think that mobile tech giants Apple and Google, through iOS and Android OS, have helped place BYOD to where it is today. And so it doesn’t come as a surprise that scores of BYOD security and management tools have sprouted for the two mobile operating systems that make up about 92% of the world Smartphone market.
However, most of the BYOD security solutions out in the market are financially taxing. Thankfully, there is now a secure workspace app for iOS and Android OS that is fit for small and mid-sized businesses because it can be availed of without breaking the bank.
The Divide app for iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile devices enables you to separate work and play. Developed by a fellow start-up Enterproid in 2011, Divide splits your mobile device into two personas—as if it were two separate gadgets.
At a touch of a button, Divide lets you flip your device between your personal and work hubs. The work side of your device is registered using your work email and requires a password when switching into work mode using the Divide app. This part of your mobile device is containerized, encrypted, and directly controlled by your company’s IT department or personnel. It also follows that this side of your gadget agrees with your company’s security policy and gives them every right to wipe out your device if and when you’ve severed your connection with the company.
Switching into work mode will direct you to that familiar iOS or Android home screen with pre-installed apps for web browsing, accessing your email and contacts, calendar, sending SMS or making voice calls, and other customizable apps related to your work.
On the other hand, the personal side of your device is completely your concern and out of reach of your company’s IT. The Divide app is a good way to boost employee satisfaction by allowing them to use the device that they’re most comfortable with for work while ensuring that it won’t compromise your company’s sensitive and confidential information. A win-win either way!