How to Handle an Employee that Wants to Use their Smartphone at Work

Recently, we’ve been approached by clients asking us about an employee wanting to set up their company email on their iPhone. The business owner thought, “Hey, that’s great! They’re getting more work done and I don’t need to pay for the phone or the service.” We then brought up a crucial point: “What happens when your employee leaves the company or loses their smartphone?”

Situations like this are created by the influx of employee’s bringing their mobile technology into the workplace. This makes for a whole new paradigm that business owners haven’t had to deal with in the past. If there was sensitive data on the device and it was lost or stolen, you, as the business owner, would be liable to notify your affected clients. This is one embarrassing phone call that you don’t want to make, and if you have clients in other states, it quickly becomes a federal issue.

Due to complex liability issues such as these, many business owners are opting to ban the use of employee-owned mobile devices in their offices altogether--a move that may hurt the morale of your technology-loving staff. While it’s great that an employee is willing to check their work email from their own smartphone, or bring their own iPad into meetings to take notes, it starts to spread your data out into areas your company might not be able to control. This is where mobile device management comes in.

It starts with building a Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, policy, establishing company rules for employees who want to access company data and communications with their mobile devices. Setting up policies that enforce the user to password protect and encrypt their devices, and being able to remotely wipe the device if it’s lost or stolen, will protect your data from the worries that BYOD causes.

We can help you gain control of mobile devices that are accessing your data, and with the risks of BYOD accounted for and covered, you will open your business up to the benefits of BYOD, which include:

• BYOD is cost effective.
• BYOD gives you access to the latest mobile technology designed to improve efficiency.
• BYOD makes your company more attractive to younger workers.
• BYOD improves employee satisfaction.
• BYOD gives you a mobile workforce.

To confidently take advantage of these BYOD benefits and more, reach out to Macro Systems at (703) 359-9211. We’re happy to help you find the best mobile solution for your business.