IT costs to rise under BYOD trend

   As more employees begin bringing their own smartphones, laptops, and tablets to work both in the office and in the field, headaches and costs for an organization are likely to rise.
   The practice of staff using their own phones is becoming known as bring-your-own-device (BYOD).
   Some 73 percent of information technology directors surveyed by IT services provider Damovo UK suggest the BYOD trend will cause IT costs to “spiral out of control.” Costs are expected to balloon as workers purchase devices and data plans and then charge them to the businesses in which they use the devices.
   Some of the largest costs will come to industries that operate in warehouse environments and those with large mobile staffs, including areas like logistics and transportation.
   In terms of cost reduction, 69 percent said the BYOD shift will not reduce support costs – which was the conventional wisdom at the onset of the trend – as employees will start asking IT departments for help with personal device issues and services instead of fixing personal device problems on their own.
   Managers anticipate BYOD will impose new costs in the short term, with the biggest burden created by security measures, supporting additional devices, and expanding network coverage. Some 82 percent of IT directors say adjusting networks to allow access for all of these devices will place a significant burden on their departments.
   Damovo UK suggests the best way to address the BYOD issue is to implement a plan around mobile device management to centralize access and corporate stores of sanctioned apps. – Geoff Whiting