Survey Finds BYOD May Not Be So Cost-Effective

By Rachel Ramsey, TMCnet Web Editor

iPhones, iPads, Surfaces and Galaxies are all contributing to a major trend in today’s workforce: bring your own device (BYOD). As employees realize the convenience of utilizing one device for both work and personal life, and companies realize the benefits of not having to distribute company-owned devices, the adoption of BYOD is growing. In fact, 75 percent of all businesses already allow personal devices into their business network. While the buzz for BYOD continues to increase, some enterprises are taking a step back and realizing it may not be all it’s cracked up to be.

The Telecom Expense Management Industry Association (TEMIA (News - Alert)) recently conducted a member survey that found 69 percent of enterprises that adopt BYOD find mobile services costs are either rising or about the same.

TEMIA currently has more than 40 members that manage more than $61 billion in spend on behalf of enterprises. Eighty percent of TEMIA members assist clients in implementing BYOD strategies.

 “BYOD is never a ‘one size fits all’ solution. Most organizations have exceptions for different job functions like executives, field sales, operations and office personnel,” said Cameron Sowder, director of TEM Solutions (News - Alert) at Manage Mobility. “A hybrid BYOD solution offers more flexibility, but clients are surprised by the amount of time and extra funding that is necessary to support these programs. For example, employee stipends make sense, but employees lose a portion of these reimbursements due to taxes. Many employers end up increasing their stipend payments. This just adds unexpected expenses for the program and make it more costly compared to alternatives.”

To successfully adopt BYOD, telecom expense management (TEM) programs help managers focus on network security, visibility for all expenses and automating manual processes. TEM can help gain control over the chaos that BYOD can bring.

Telecom expense management isn’t the same as it used to be because mobile communication is so much more complex than wireline. It involves all the activities that enterprises oversee for their telecommunications network, including wireless expense management, mobile device management and mobile application and security management. While having employees manage their own devices is part of the appeal, in practice this doesn’t always happen; IT departments are sometimes left troubleshooting a wide range of devices, which further adds costs.

“Successful BYOD programs take a tremendous amount of strategic planning and work. The most successful BYOD programs are very deliberate in terms of increasing the wireless budget. There are also a number of legal issues with BYOD which put employers at risk,” said Steve Haddock, director of Bluefish Wireless. “Enterprises that are considering BYOD should invest some time to consider BYOD and the various alternatives including Choose Your Own Device (CYOD), Corporate Liable Employee Owned, (CLEO), and Corporate Owned Personally-Enabled or COPE programs. This is where it is helpful to engage with a Solutions Provider to determine the best approach and how best to integrate TEM and WEM programs with Mobile Device Management (MDM).”


Edited by Rory J. Thompson

(source: http://www.tmcnet.com/channels/telecom-expense-management/articles/336295-survey-finds-byod-may-not-be-so-cost.htm)

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