Both employees and employers are confused when it comes to staff members using their own mobile devices for work, indicating the need for businesses to establish bring-your-own-device (BYOD) IT policies, new research from BT Business suggests.
The research of workers in SMEs reveals that while 68pc of employers claim to have BYOD policies in place, only 39pc of employees say they are aware of these policies.
More than half (52pc) of employers believe their policy is widely communicated but only 18pc of employees would agree.
Despite this, BYOD is increasing amongst businesses, with the research results showing 77pc of employers now allow the use of personal devices on the job. Nearly half (47pc) of employers already use their own devices for work.
Opinions appear on a more even keel when it comes to the right to wipe data on an employee’s personal device, with 49pc of employers and 43pc of employees believing their employer has the right to wipe data if a device is lost or stolen.
Impact of BYOD
“Businesses are clearly embracing the BYOD phenomenon, and with great reason. Employees can pick and choose the devices they are most comfortable and productive with, and employers can reduce hardware costs. For a growing business, BYOD can make a real impact on savings and efficiency,” said Graham Sutherland, managing director of BT Business.
“It’s encouraging that employees and employers appear to hold similar views when it comes to a right to wipe data if a device is lost, but there is a question as to whether employees fully understand the implications of this.”
Sutherland added that today’s IT manager has his or her hands full with technology that evolves quickly.
“Putting a policy in place now will prevent IT headaches down the line.”
