The next stage of consumerization: 'The work-life smoothie'

The potential impact of consumerization is much wider than generally understood. Combined with new working styles, it has the potential to improve organization structure and culture. Some organizations get this and are changing their DNA to reposition themselves ahead of competitors.

Yet, in the business and IT media, much of the consumerization coverage is about tactical issues: whether to have a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy or not; what a BYOD policy should contain; the sort of security software to buy; and how to use BYOD as bait to attract millennials/Gen Y (those born approximately between 1980 and 2000) as employees. These are all valid questions, but they should be asked only after much more strategic business challenges are addressed.

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The Evolution of Enterprise Software
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Cloud: How to Do SaaS Right
BYOD and the Consumerization of IT
Tapping M2M: The Internet of Things
Making the Business Case For Big Data
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10 worst-case BYOD scenarios (and how to prevent them)

Bring Your Own Device has stirred plenty of controversy. Companies are either embracing it to its fullest extent or avoiding it like the plague. BYOD can potentially save you money and help make your employees happier and more productive. But it also brings along with it a number of possible pitfalls, from security to compatibility and everything in between. For the most part, those pitfalls can be avoided with just a little planning and education. “No way,” you say? Let’s look at some likely worst-case scenarios and see how you can prevent them from occurring.

1: Exposed data
2: Passwords in the wild
3: Declining productivity
4: Compatibility issues
5: Bandwidth overuse
6: Device management
7: Wireless bottlenecks
8: Autonomy overuse
9: Virus infections
10: Compatibility complaints

Bring Your Own Drama

It’s coming to an IT department near you. When it does, be prepared for anything and everything. You’re dealing with the teen years of mobile devices and you’re going to have to have tricks up your sleeve you never thought you’d need. But if you’re prepared, and if you’ve prepared your users, that drama will hardly get the chance to rear its ugly head.

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10 considerations for BYOD cost/benefit analysis

The most difficult element of the whole Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement is determining whether it will save your organization money. There’s no guaranteed formula for assessing the costs versus benefits of BYOD for an organization -- BYOD is far from a one-size-fits-all initiative. But all organizations contemplating BYOD should do a thorough, upfront cost/benefit analysis. This post presents a list of 10 things to be kept in mind when you prepare to conduct a BYOD cost/benefit analysis for your organization.

1: Current costs of company-owned devices
2: Cost of implementing and managing an MDM solution
3: Costs of BYOD policy development and program management
4: Updating in-place enterprise security and help desk
5: Hidden back-end costs
6: Benefits to employee morale and productivity
7: Costs of BYOD stipends and/or allowances
8: Risk management expenses
9: Internal app development costs
10: Benefits of employees being more responsive to your customers

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10 ways to make BYOD more appealing to users

Ten Tips for Establishing a Secure Foundation for BYOD

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is the catchall phrase to describe the phenomenon of employees bringing personal mobile technology and other computing devices into the corporate IT environment. It impacts organizations of all sizes and carries with it a unique set of challenges and business impact.

Often times, BYOD is referred to as the “consumerization of IT,” which also captures a key concept and concern for IT administrators. This being that these new devices entering the corporate environment are often consumer-grade devices, rather than managed, controlled and secured corporate IT assets.

This white paper describes the market drivers behind the BYOD phenomenon, the challenges presented to an organization, a strategic outline to manage BYOD, and how WatchGuard helps to create a secure BYOD ecosystem.

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Best Practices for Supporting 'Bring Your Own' Mobile Devices

This research addresses some of the support tactics we see used in organizations that have adopted "bring your own" (BYO) programs, where employees use personally owned tablets and smartphones for work. This research is intended for CIOs and staff responsible for planning, administering and supporting mobile devices.

Access the research report

Mobility disruption: A CIO perspective

Enterprise mobility is poised to fundamentally change the IT landscape. Here’s an overview of the opportunities and some early lessons on how to manage the associated security risks, costs, and organizational challenges

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BYOD and Mobile Strategy

In this 42-page PDF guide, InfoWorld explains how to set up an effective BYOD program that is managed and secured, yet embraces the consumerization of IT spirit sought by users

iPhones, iPads, Androids, Windows Phones, and more are joining your business's suite of technology tools, driven by user demand and need. Most companies have opened up their networks to such devices, but big questions remain on how to do so securely, how to manage the new breed of devices to ensure compliance and information security while not unduly burdening users. This guide looks at all aspects of the issue, including the underlying consumerization trend,the role of policy-based management, device capabilities, and strategies for mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM).

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CIO challenges: Bringing your iPad to work

The arrival of personal technology in the office is a challenge for all organisations. The technology is here, but not yet adapted for corporate use, and CIOs are asking what security policies must be put in place to safeguard network services and company data are these devices proliferate. This white paper describes how these devices can be identified on the network, securely enrolled, and authenticated and authorised on the network Download the whitepaper