Build Your Own Destiny

Alcatel-Lucent

Abstract:

"Bring Your Own Device" as a symptom of something deeper.

The reign of the personal computer (PC ) as the predominant tool on an enterprise communications network is coming to an end. Employees are no longer content to be tethered to a desktop PC hardwired into the corporate local area network (LAN ). Nor are they comfortable being restricted to bulky notebook PC s with cumbersome wireless access processes. Accustomed to the freedom they have to access their consumer applications anywhere, at any time and on any device, today’s employees want the same seamless, ubiquitous access to enterprise applications on their personal devices whether they are within the work environment or well beyond the enterprise boundary. They are bringing their personal smartphones, tablets and other portable devices to work, and they expect to continue digital conversations with colleagues, partners and customers on these devices anywhere, at any time and with any application they choose.

This expectation is creating a considerable challenge for enterprise information technology (IT) teams worldwide. Because an employee's personal mobile devices are not under the control of the IT team, there is a higher risk of unauthorized access to sensitive corporate information from the outside whenever these devices are used. But while regulating the bring your own device (BYOD) trend is important for the short-term, the real challenge for enterprises is to prepare for a new paradigm of enterprise communications. The next generation of enterprise networks must support smart mobile devices that will change the way IT teams will serve the communications needs of employees to accommodate habits and benefits inherited from their consumer lives.

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