It is not surprising to walk around an office or business and see employees using tablets or smartphones as a typical tool for daily business. Whether the devices are handed out by company IT departments or are part of a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) strategy, mobile devices have found a home in the business world and adoption was pushed by personal use.
With the success of "BYO" programs, it raises the question: how far can it go? Will we one day reach a world where employees are required to bring all of their own technology into the office, including a desktop? We might already be there.
In a recent CITEworld article, Ryan Faas argues that the corporate world could be on the verge of BYO-PC or BYO-Mac.
"Ultimately, there is potential for expanding the BYOD model to encompass a broader range of devices, including an employee's primary computer," Faas wrote. "Such a model certainly has advantages, particularly for individuals that work mostly or completely outside the office."
While employees will be excited about the idea of using a system they are always comfortable with to handle work-related functions, it adds a new layer to the headache that BYOD is creating for IT departments. The security protocols that go into managing tablets are one thing, but securing a network full of workers' personal desktops and laptops brings with it a series of access, privacy and cyber security hoops to jump though.
While a company whose technology systems are completely employee-owned isn't likely to be right around the corner, IT departments need to know they are a possibility. With the help of an IT consulting firm that specializes in mobile and Mac integration, any business can be ready to adapt.
