MIS

22.09.15
GROUP 1

Case Study 03: The Pleasures and Pitfalls of BYOD

Case Summary
BYOD Bring Your Own Device allows "Anywhere" and "Anytime" access to
computing tools, causing increased employee satisfaction toward the company,
productivity and time effectiveness through such convenience. Yet, with the
aforementioned benefits, there are number of difficult issues related to this concept,
especially when dealing with companys information security leading to a vulnerable
ground if not properly dealt with.
The difficulties of BYOD concept are namely; device support, managing cost, and
data and network protection. With an increasingly greater variety of device types and
operation systems, this requires a reasonable amount of IT resources together with human
resource involvement in order to tackle information security in non-proprietary software and
numerous networking platforms. To ensure this is possible, companies need to make effort
into keeping updated and adjust the procedure to be in conformance with changes in carriers,
number, device versions and types, while assuring the level of productivity.
In addition, the case also portrays the implementation of BYOD in two companies,
namely; IBM and Intel. While IBM did not successfully deploy BYOD is practice due to an
unorganized controlling measures, Intel, with emphasis on its people, managed it by
developing multiple access and control levels for its registered devices, alongside with several
software and security tools to enhance the user satisfaction. In this comparison, a key
takeaway would be that any organizational change would only be successful with mutual
efforts the company and its people.

Case Discussions
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of allowing employees to use their
personal smart phones for work?
Advantages:
o Companies
a. Cost-saving: not responsible for the spending on employees
smartphones, while benefiting at the same level in comparison to
them actually investing on the smartphones for employees
o Employees
a. With anywhere and anytime access to corporate network increase
level of productivity and effectiveness
b. Feel comfortable to use their own devices
c. Feel convenient to carry only one device to work
Disadvantages:
o Employee Performance and Productivity: Difficult to maintain since
employees are involved with various types of mobile devices and
operating systems which is difficult to normalized measures and hard to
control over different systems. In addition, personal data and business
data are on the same mobile sometimes employee will focus on their
personal issues more than their work.
o Technical Support: linger more supporting teams and resources due to
various types of devices and operating platforms, this may include
providing updates and bug fixes.
o Information Security: Companys data and other valuable assets are
vulnerable to a greater deal of risks with mobility factor enhanced by
smartphones in comparison with storing them stationary at the company.
Employees may install their personal Apps along with corporate Apps
which could trigger information leakage.

MIS
22.09.15
GROUP 1

o Network Setup: to receive connection from all devices is complicated

due to users may change their devices, carriers, or even have their device
lost or stolen.
2. What management, organization, and technology factors should be addressed
when deciding whether to allow employees to use their personal smart phones
for work?
When deciding whether to allow employees to use their personal smartphones
for work, the following factors should be considered:
Management Factor:
Management needs to make sure of the applications on smartphones that
should be:
Compatible with the firms IT platform
User-friendly
Worthwhile for its value: whether the benefits justify the cost
To make the aforementioned possible, management needs to agree upon that
software will be developed based on a user-centric scheme, yet within the
companys constraints. The software development team needs to be professed
on ensuring that new applications and the software used will be easy to use and
monitored in order to be able to track upon productivity.

Organization Factor:
The organization needs to devise the followings:
Develop a different policies which will cover all ranges for different mobile
model and version in order to maintain security of the company
Implement an end-user service level agreement and policies to enable
mutual consent on data access and security awareness among the
employees
Develop network and IT support structure to support all users in the
organization
Develop inventory tracking system that keeps a record of the devices name,
device location, device activation status (whether it is still being used), and
device software etc. stored as database so that assistance can be dealt with
in a timely manner
Technology Factor:
Technology-wise, the firm should focus on the followings:
Corporate Data Protection: Using supplementary software to allow
information to be wiped from devices remotely when devices are stolen or
tracked to be transmitting confidential information elsewhere
Data Accessibility: Each device must be equipped with certain level
accessibility based on each employees responsibilities within the
organization
3. Compare the BYOD experiences of IBM and Intel. Why did BYOD at Intel work so
well?
BYOD experiences of IBM
Lacking Control over Devices: Software in employees devices are not controllable
by the IT Dept. at IBM, this means productivity and performance are difficult to track

MIS
22.09.15
GROUP 1

Has Control over Network: some security policy is imposed; the devices are only
usable when the network secures them. Moreover, public file transfers function is
turned off.
Lacking Cooperation from Employees: Blissfully unaware is the term describing
the employees attitude toward Security risks from popular applications. This means
confidential information can leak at any time through employees transferring
information in and between applications in their mobiles phones

BYOD experiences of Intel

Employees are happier and more productive: The concept has helped Intel
workers saved about 5 million hours annually company-wide. They are happy
because, they are more comfortable using their own devices.
Supporting Effort from IT Dept.: Intel developed internal "app store" with 40
proprietary applications travel tools to help schedule a flight and conference room
finders, which actually caters to the processes at work, not forcing reality, but
supplementing and serving to what the workplace needs, showing the managements
concern and organizational dedication to this implementation.
BYOD at Intel work so well because Intels company developed different policies,
rules and access limits for each type of devices such as smart phones, tablets, or
laptop with multiple levels of control in place.
4. Allowing employees to use their own smart phones for work will save the
company money. Do you agree? Why or why not?
Allowing employees use their own smartphones for work, company saves money
from being spent on corporates own mobile devices. Without mobility, huge expenses
are needed for transportation either for meetings or minor discussions. However as
mentioned in the case study, there are quite a few hidden factors that are difficult to
maintain.
The control of information security concerns the companys most valuable
assets. Whether the company will benefit or not, this depends upon the
management vision (to put effort on IT management or not), organization and
preparation (to allocate a team for technical support or not), and financial
justification (how much the company expects from return on this investment). If
company is ready, prepared, and have sufficient technical support for assisting their
end-users, they will be able to manage information security, thus; using BYOD will
definitely save money for company to what extent will depend on the companys
financial expectation.