Bring Your Own Device

On the surface

Bring Your Own Device programs are getting momentum and there is a lot of debate about it's merits and risks. That businesses like it is not of a big surprise; it not only saves money but also makes life simpler (less administration).  Even employees may like it because they can use the real thing they like. However I easily can imagine complex discussions about cost compensation and software which the company requires to use (e.g. Office versions). The devil is in the detail.

 

IT is not enemy #1

Some IT departments may get scared by the idea of supporting "unknown" devices but I don't think its a real obstacle. Many organizations already support devices outside the office, so the actual technical difference is not as big as it seems to be. It can be solved. 

 

It's inevitable

I don't think BYOD can be avoided except for some special cases. With the maturity of the Internet and mobile devices there will be an increasing pressure to integrate private devices. Especially managers and salespeople - both group with considerable persuasion power - will embrace the idea and then it will spread to middle managers and office workers. 

 

The real problem

As so often what seems to be a technical problem in reality is something else, more complex and more difficult.  And it lies in the nature of on line and mobility.  If private and public space is mixed on the device level unintentional information exchange may happen. (Like this.). How far is the company responsible for what is happening on the device of an end user? How far is the user responsible? Naturally technology can prohibit this, but it's like prohibit cars to access the street in order to prevent accidents. 

 

Cultural challenge

Like in case of cars, technology can improve safety but not prevent accidents or crime. It's rather a matter of culture and consensus. We are making a next step toward a more open society and it must be managed within the society.  As cars hundred years ago not only accelerated personal freedom and business but also brought new problems and dangers, the same is happening with technology now. We can blame it but technology is unable to solve alone the very problems it creates.