The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) phenomenon that has workers using personal devices for corporate functions is well on its way to being mainstream—suggesting an opportunity for channel partners in security and management value-adds.
Research from Samsung and IDG into the attitudes of IT executives and consumers toward BYOD found that a full 90 percent of IT executives believe BYOD will be the norm by 2014.
Almost half (49 percent) of consumers surveyed believe that the mobile device will become the primary computing device for work-related activities within the next five years.
The research, from Samsung and IDG, was unveiled at the 2013 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas. It also found that 85 percent of companies are encouraging the BYOD movement. The study showed that more than 70 percent of IT executives surveyed believe companies without a BYOD strategy will be at a competitive disadvantage. And, 81 percent of IT decision-makers and 78 percent of employees said they believe that having a single mobile device helps balance employees’ work and personal lives.
“Bring your own device is at a tipping point as mobile devices are becoming a central hub for our lives,” said Tim Baxter, president of Samsung in the U.S., during a press conference.
Security was a standout concern in the findings, however. Most IT executives (84 percent) and employees (74 percent) said that they see device security as the most important concern, and that companies should implement strong BYOD policies, such as preapproved device lists and mobile device management (MDM) as a result.
