Having listened to a number of different perspectives on the topic of BYOD, I have come to the conclusion that this is a subject that has the potential to divide the managed services (in specific) and IT departments (in general).
MSPWorld will be hosting a session on BYOD, and the greater trend of "bring your own…whatever" What is curious is how different companies can take very different views on BYOD and allow those views to impact their own MSP policies as well as the messaging to customers.
BYOD as a Threat
First, it is undeniable that BYOD, if ill defined and un-managed, could be ruinous for a customer. I remember back in the 1990s the IT department telling me an ergonomic mouse I had purchased was not supported by the company. I had to throw it out and use the plain white mouse they provided. This was, and still is, a somewhat common reaction by IT departments who look down on any perceived attempt to challenge their power.
Fast forward to today and you now have very powerful smartphones, tablets, and even third party cloud services entering IT networks with little or no warning or knowledge. Furthermore, MSPs have long waged an education campaign to customers about upgrading equipment and networks before they can be managed, so it's not as if MSPs (or their customers) are new to the idea of standardization. The end result is IT departments (and their MSPs) do have a legitimate role to play in telling users how the IT assets of the company are going to be used, including what assets can be used.
The very real threats BYOD present to the customer AND their MSP include:
- Disruption of existing IT policies and procedures
- introduction of new and un-verified third party cloud applications into the company network
- Higher potential for data leakage and exposure
- Greater costs to MSPs resulting in lower profits
BYOD as an Opportunity
To suggest that MSPs should simply ignore BYOD and advise their customers that they must continue to assert control over users may not be a dead idea, but it may be limited in its scope. Today, there are plenty of examples of highly regulated and security conscious companies who want to protect their data at any cost. BYOD may not always be the best route for those organizations. But, for everyone else, does BYOD represent a chance for MSPs to talk to their customers about making BYOD a safe reality?
Here are some of the more common views expressed by those who view BYOD as a positive opportunity.
- Chance to add new managed devices
- Ability to make the customer's end users happy
- Make customer more productive by adding new services (if they can be added safely)
- Keeps the MSP close to the customer
Whichever side you are on, having a BYOD policy within your MSP practice is critical. You must have a response when your customers bring these questions to you. If you're struggling with what your BYOD policy should be, I encourage you to attend MSPWorld this October and participate in the BYOD discussion.
