Corporate Phones vs. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
Should my company provide its employees with Corporate Cell Phones?
In most cases, providing your employees with corporate phones is ideal. If the phone belongs to your company, you can do with it what you will, wipe it whenever you like, limit certain types of use, or change company phones at your every whim. You also don't need to worry about making agreements with employees about the type of plan or phone they need to have to keep up with the company’s needs.
That being said, corporate phones can be a large expense, and there is the question of responsibility if one is lost or stolen or damaged. They can break unexpectedly or simply stop working. Sometimes businesses will choose to ask their employees to use their personal devices for work purposes, in order to save money.
What is the problem with getting employees to use their personal phones for work?
As mentioned before, some people might not have phones with enough power to do what the company needs it to do; others might not have a plan that is comprehensive enough to do everything the company needs it to be able to do. Some people might not be willing / able to pay more to upgrade their plan or phone for work purposes.
Even if the employee and employer are able to work out an arrangement that is mutually agreeable, there is another issue to consider.
The biggest problem employers’ face when their employees are using personal phones for work purposes, is when an employee quits or is terminated. If they have their work information such as their Exchange account synced to their phone, all of their contacts, calendar appointments, and emails could be mixed with their personal ones. When an employee quits or is terminated, it is important that they no longer have access to company information, and that means any cellular devices should be wiped.
The trouble challenge is doing that without affecting the employee's personal data (photos, music, email, contacts, etc.).
People put personal information on their work phones too, so who cares if their personal information is wiped?
The problem is a legal one. If a person has personal information on a work phone and their personal information is wiped, the employee has little option for recourse. However, if a person has work information on a personal phone and personal information is wiped, an employee’s personal property has been destroyed and there are grounds for a lawsuit.
Is there a way to separate corporate and personal data on one device?
There are many systems available that facilitate "bring your own device" integration - all of them have different features, but most require hardware and software in addition to your own corporate mail platform (such as Exchange). They can be costly, but there are some environments where a dedicated solution is best and if this is required, we can help.
Is there another way? A way that works for small business?
There is an application called "Touchdown" that can keep all of your corporate data (emails, tasks, and calendar) separate from personal data. The cost is minimal and set up is easy. It can be described as a "little box" in your phone where all of your corporate data is kept separately from your personal data. This way, you can have your employees using their personal phones for work, and if they lose the device or stop working for you, you can just wipe their corporate data and leave their family pictures and personal contacts alone.
Contact us today and ask us about Touchdown.
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