But this time they are testing us with four letters. The latest acronym to gain global status in the comms dictionary is BYOD, otherwise known as Bring Your Own Device. It sounds like a party invite and could become just as popular.
It has grown from being a general talking point of very little interest to a hot topic in a very short space of time, why?
Maybe it's because it is the end-user that's driving the conversation. Organisations need to be lean and flexible. It used to be that IT departments drove technology, but that has changed dramatically in recent years. The introduction of the iPhone and other such devices has shifted the IT culture so that the users are the ones getting the latest, cutting edge technologies first, and they want to bring those devices to work.
The benefits to the organisation are that most of the costs shift to the user. You would expect that there would be an employee revolt but they are happy because they have the laptops and smartphones they desire making for a happier workforce. They like them so much they invested their hard-earned money in them. They’d rather use the devices of their choice rather than being stuck with laptops and mobile devices that are selected and issued by the IT department.
That brings challenges to the organisation such as compliance and ownership of data. Rules must be followed even if the data is on a device owned by an employee.
So whether it's BYOD or BYOB know the limits and enjoy.
"New Technology, Traditional Values" - askAdodo
