Mobile Device Management: How To Enhance Business Success

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Do You Allow Employees To Use Their Own Devices For WorThe evolution of personal mobile devices and the rise of how necessary they are to business success these days are forcing many small business owners to make a choice – “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) vs. “Corporate Owned, Personally Enabled” (COPE).

The Typical Solution – BYOD

In today’s business environment, a lot of small-business employees use their personal mobile devices (mobile phones, tablet and laptop computers etc.) for work. While this is convenient for both parties, the main issue facing organizations today, especially in these days of working from home, is the headache involved here is how do you support and secure all of these devices.

The scary thing is that most small businesses don’t even try! The CDW survey found that only 1 in 5 small businesses have deployed (or plan to deploy) any systems for managing and securing employees’ personal devices.

The Alternative – Is COPE Any Better?

A minority of small businesses has implemented a Corporate Owned, Personally Enabled (“COPE”) policy instead. They buy their employees’ mobile devices, secure them, and then let employees load additional personal applications that they want or need. And the employers control what types of apps can be added too.

And the “personally enabled” aspect of COPE allows employees to choose the company approved device they prefer while permitting them to use it both personally and professionally.

COPE is certainly more controlled and secure, but for a business with a limited budget, buying devices for every employee can add up pretty quick. If you go the COPE route and are large enough to buy in volume, you can likely negotiate substantial discounts.

Security Concerns With BYOD

If you have client information that must be kept secure or other industry specific regulations regarding the security of client data, then COPE is likely your best approach.
It takes out any gray area of whose data is whose. Plus there is a certain comfort level in being able to recover or confiscate any device for any reason at any time to protect your company without any worries of device ownership.

Struggling to figure out which option is best for your business?

Which mobile device policy is appropriate for your business? We’ll help you build a solid mobile device management system that protects your organization from a number of risks. During this meeting:

  • We’ll match up your business objectives and your specific risk
    tolerance with what you want to enable your employees to do and
    how you want them to work.
  • We’ll review your current mobile device policy against our 11-point checklist. Skipping any of these 11 “must-haves” could lead to big problems.
  • We’ll review the “Locks on the doors” of your devices.
    A written policy is not enough! We’ll review 4 critical areas of your mobile device management system too often missed by small businesses.

To secure your FREE Mobile Device Policy Consultation (a $297 value), call us at 512-814-8044 or contact us.

Our FREE Mobile Device Policy Consultation ($297 value) helps point you in the right direction for your business.

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