BYOD, or bring your own device, is a pretty hot topic in tech right now. BYOD is a product of a need for change when it comes to mobile devices in the workplace, so much that it comes with its many benefits like workforce productivity and an overall reduction in technology costs.
We are on the cusp of a BYOD era, one where work life is slowly intermingling with personal life. But what if you could, say, wear your own device? Samsung’s Galaxy Gear opens up a hefty discussion on BYOD and the problems that can arise with wearable technology, should it take off.
Samsung (News - Alert) Electronics Co., Ltd. took center stage at the 53rd Annual IFA technology trade show in Berlin introducing the Galaxy Gear, the new companion device to the Samsung Galaxy. The world's top handset maker hopes the Galaxy Gear will boost the appeal of its range of Android-powered smartphones as it fights to maintain supremacy in the rapidly saturating high-end mobile market against arch rival Apple (News - Alert).
Corporate offices, traditionally protected by a hard firewall-based network edge, are being forced to recognize these devices as challenges. Understanding the impact of these devices in relation to governance, security, and accessibility requires a current look at adoptable and available technology.
Solutions like MaaS360 offer support for Samsung devices in a BYOD landscape. According to its website, MaaS360 (News - Alert) allows IT professionals manage any Samsung device through native capabilities supported on the platform, as well as a number of Samsung-specific mobile device management (MDM) APIs. Currently the devices supported include the Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II and Galaxy Tab 2.
It’s still too early to tell what the Galaxy Gear and other wearable technology devices will do to the BYOD scene. As of right now, these devices do not have enough market saturation for it to be a concern, however, as IT managers are already ironing out the kinks with current BYOD programs in regards to traditional mobile devices, starting a discussion isn’t a terrible idea.
Edited by Rachel Ramsey