R.I.P BYOD: On To The Next One

be  an enabler.  To accomplish mobility goals,  flexibility is key. One possibility is to  allow employees to enroll in a program  that is enabled by EMM solution.  This permits users to access company  resources while giving IT limited control  over their devices, an arrangement that  agreeably takes end-user privacy into  account. While it’s the most common  way to manage devices, will be a big hit  with your employees? Hardly.

 An alternative is to provide  employees with a separate app to access  work email, calendar information,  contacts and documents without  enrolling a user in the EMM solution.  In this scenario, IT would place security  requirements, such as passcodes,  encryption, and data loss prevention  controls, on corporate data and apps  without interfering at the device  level. If you’re looking to gain  popularity points with your  employees, this option is  ideal since corporations  would have “less” control  over a user-owned device.  It removes the stigma of big  brother.

Fortunately, flexible  EMM solutions allow  IT to deploy different  approaches that comply  with security guidelines  while respecting user privacy.  Unless a device conflicts with  corporate policy or  contains malware,  there’s no  reason  to impose further on an  employee’s  mobile device. Some options even help both the user and corporation remain safe. For instance, the ability to detect and notify the user that malware has been discovered on their device can  help protect their personal information.  It’s especially relevant in 2015 since malware infected over 11.6 million mobile devices last year.

 The focus is now on IT to evaluate the purpose of a specific device, examine the corporate resources that a user  accesses and apply the proper technology and policy to govern. The implementation ultimately hinges on the explicit  use case and user requirements. Just  remember, there isn’t a single policy to  manage all devices and all users. If any - thing, that’s a quick way to pit IT and end users against each other.

“Flexible EMM solutions allow IT to deploy different approaches that comply with security guidelines while respecting user privacy”

Analytics Will Alter the Future

As mobile and big data analytics converge, it will create new forms of intelligent management policies that use context and automation to deliver services. In the coming years, the industry will have more granular control over identity and access management of users and devices. Predictive algorithms in EMM products that forecast risks in devices before they surface will be the new game-changer. Further advancements in analytics and security intelligence will enable IT units to identify vulnerabilities within corporate environments and prevent threats from happening.

 These developments will stimulate heightened security measures, further enabling successful mobile adoption.  Slowly but surely, the EMM market will evolve from simply enrolling a device in a solution to understanding context and providing predictive analytics. Exciting times are ahead.

While BYOD may no longer be a phenomenon, securing the enterprise still remains the ongoing challenge. It’s up to CIOs to understand the shifts in the landscape, adopt a flexible approach that ensures user productivity while increasing security standards and move on to the next one.