It’s undeniable that the smartphone has transformed computing. In fact, not only is more computing done on mobile devices, they are by far the most purchased computers in the world. Well over 90 percent of people own some type of smartphone. So how do you use these devices for productivity? This month, we will discuss some ways to make this happen.
Let’s face it, when you see most workers on their phone, they are just distracting themselves away from their actual work. Even people who do use it for productivity will often stray away from it to check social media, browse the web, or play games. The availability of these distractions make them somewhat controversial.
Years ago, you would see business owners ban their employees from using their phones at work. Nowadays, with even more distractions, most organizations wouldn’t dare try it as it could easily alienate their employees. Now, it’s best for everyone if a company has a plan to incorporate the inevitable smartphone use to help their business.
Start with BYOD
A few years ago the term “Bring Your Own Device” was all over the place. Some experts were telling business owners that the only way to get the kind of control they need was to purchase phones for their staff and pay the exorbitant costs of data plans. This would allow them to completely control mobile device use for business, but it also added quite a few clams to the proverbial chowder.
Today, this strategy is widely ignored. Sure, large companies with big revenues and more people to support can afford to buy smartphones and data plans for their staff, but most businesses simply cannot justify the investment, especially when there are solutions that can provide them with the mobile coverage and management they need without huge capital outlays.
Everyone knows (and usually protects) their mobile device; they likely paid a good price for it. With some people paying service and data plans of thousands of dollars a year (on top of the device) they are invested in it; and if they are like most other people they spend hours a day staring at it. Using this device to help push along your organizational mobile initiatives is brilliant; and something that almost every single person will agree to as long as you don’t use this access to overstep the personal/work boundary.
BYOD as a strategy still requires mobile management, but it doesn’t require the ridiculous price of buying and maintaining phones and phone service. Really, if you use a VoIP provider (and most companies are) employees can simply get their work calls routed to their personal device. This convenience is just one benefit of BYOD with VoIP.
Keeping Mobile Strategies Secure
Keeping your business smartphones safe starts with managing them all in one place. Companies can use a Mobile Device Management (MDM) system to make sure every phone follows the same security rules—like using strong, complex passwords, setting up extra layers of verification (multi-factor authentication), keeping software up to date, and even encrypting everything on the phone. This kind of system also lets you lock or wipe a phone remotely if it gets lost or stolen.
Going back to BYOD for a second, a good security policy tells everyone what they can and cannot do, what security measures they must follow, and who’s responsible for what. Regular training keeps everyone up to speed on new threats and best practices, like not giving apps unnecessary permissions, understanding the makeup of a phishing email, and keeping personal and work data separate.
Finally, the Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a great tool to keep data secure in transit. A VPN encrypts all the data sent from your mobile device, so even if someone manages to intercept it, they won’t be able to read it. It also secures your connection when you're on public Wi-Fi, reducing the risk of hackers snooping on your online activities.
Smartphones need to be a big part of any business’ IT strategy, and we can help. To learn how we can build a mobile strategy that is cost-effective and secure, give our knowledgeable technicians a call today at (604) 513-9428.
