A recent Gallup News survey asked participants to indicate the number of hours worked in a typical week. Most Americans reported working an average of 47 hours, and almost half indicated that they work close to 50 hours per week.
As organizations cut back on the number of employees–in addition to the portability and mobility of today’s devices–this trend was a predictable outcome. As a result, a number of government agencies have implemented Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs. As the name indicates, employees and other resources use their own laptops, tablets, and smartphones for work-related tasks.
Although a step in the right direction, implementing BYOD by itself can present its own set of challenges, especially in regards to security. As a result, experts like Microsoft suggest a two-fold mobility strategy that includes Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) as well as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) to mesh flexibility and security:
In a recent post on Microsoft’s Government Blog, it states the following:
“A holistic mobility strategy gives a uniform user experience across a variety of form-factors, even when provided by different Original Equipment Manufacturers. It also delivers uniform manageability and security, across the enterprise, from the desktop to the tablet. Traditionally, agencies have issued bulky devices that met the organizations’ security requirements, but often left users dissatisfied with the experience of work-issued devices. Bringing their own devices into the workplace satisfies the user’s experience, but often presents significant security risks to the organization.
In a CYOD scenario, users can select from a short list of devices issued by the agency. This allows users to select the device that meets their personal preference while the agency can ensure the device meets mission and security requirements of the organization. With Windows 8.1 Update, Microsoft has made a big step in bridging the gap between the desktop and the mobile environment, enabling the employment of new device strategies. This approach is well suited for devices that will be connected to the organization’s network, accessing secure applications and using sensitive data.”
One way that Microsoft addresses the need for this type of mobility strategy is through its Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS).
Microsoft EMS benefits include the ability to:
- Enable people to be productive across the broad array of devices they love with access to the applications they need;
- Unify the IT environment with a common identity across on-premises and the cloud, and deeply integrated capabilities for mobile device management (MDM); and
- Protect data with a comprehensive set of access control and data protection capabilities.
To learn more about Microsoft EMS and to view demos, datasheets, and white papers regarding the product, see the Microsoft EMS website.
