March 4, 2024
The Evolution of BYOD and What’s Next
The first time I brought my BlackBerry to work in the early 2000s, it sat in my desk drawer until I had to head to the airport for a tradeshow and customer event. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has come a long way since then. In fact, it has transformed the business landscape, forever changing the way we communicate and work. From its inception to its current prolific state, BYOD has evolved with the advancements in technology, shifting employee preferences, and ongoing security concerns.
BYOD was born out of innovation. Intel was among the first to spot the growing trend around 2009 when the company saw some of its employees bringing their mobile phones and laptops to work, and connecting them to the corporate network. It was around this time that Android was gaining momentum and Apple launched the first iPad. More and more personal devices began showing up in workplaces around the world. Initially, many businesses responded by blocking personal devices from their networks. But eventually, companies had to face the reality that they couldn’t ignore BYOD.
Recognizing BYOD in the workplace meant dealing with headaches, like the increasing and unexpected requests for IT to support external personal devices that did not fall within the company budget or plan. While this could be challenging and frustrating, businesses soon discovered that BYOD also presented some meaningful benefits, such as efficiency and productivity. With increased mobility and flexibility, BYOD started to take off. With the ability to work from anywhere at any time, employees were no longer bound to traditional office hours, and companies could ask more of them. In many ways BYOD was a win-win as businesses squeezed more productivity out of their employees, and in turn, employees gained more freedom and flexibility to work when and where they wanted, using the devices they chose.
While most organizations today realize the upside of BYOD, some challenges persist. Security has been a particularly tough aspect, as CIOs and CSIOs continue to struggle with the constantly evolving complexities of securing company data on personal devices. Introducing external devices to company networks creates increased potential for security breaches and data leaks. And when an employee leaves the company, the risk of exposure of company information is even greater. Finally, because there is no standardization across employee-owned smartphones and devices, the array of operating systems can create compatibility issues and management issues.
To navigate these challenges, companies have evolved their approach to BYOD over the years to stay in step with the workforce and technology advancements. Forward thinking businesses have created programs and policies to help define the specific BYOD practices at their organizations. By defining the roles and responsibilities of the company and the employee, expectations are set from the beginning. Also, many IT organizations have adopted new security solutions such as encryption, mobile device management (MDM) solutions, and remote wipe capabilities to protect sensitive information on employee-owned devices. And newer platform-agnostic applications and cloud-based services have helped solve some compatibility issues.
Looking ahead, BYOD will continue at full steam. Global Industry Analysts (GIA) estimates that the global market size for enterprise mobility and BYOD will rise from $84.4 billion in 2022 to $157.3 billion by 2026. Given that organizations around the world recognize the powerful productivity, agility and flexibility benefits, BYOD has gone from an optional initiative more than a decade ago, to a requirement in today’s marketplace. New technologies related to security, device management, and mobile services will further propel this industry, and Ringer is excited to enter the fray. We’re working on a service that will dramatically change how businesses approach BYOD. Greater efficiency, streamlined, premium service, and more data insights. Big news is coming soon! In the meantime, sign up to receive updates and be among the first to learn what we’re up to: Ringer.tel
Kerry Garrison brings more than 34 years of marketing and technical expertise to his role at Ringer. Responsible for planning, building and executing marketing campaigns to expand Ringer’s reach, Kerry understands the industry landscape and is an expert at delivering solutions that solve customer challenges.
Kerry serves as director of product marketing at Teliax, a national CLEC that pioneered business VoIP and has held executive roles at companies such as 888VoIP, XO Communications, Inc. and Vitelity.
Kerry is a graduate of Irvine College with a BS in Business Management.