Thinking about BYOD? Your Employees May Already Be Living It

If you work for a large enterprise, chances are you’re likely using a personal smartphone or tablet for work purposes. The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend is here, whether employers are embracing it or not.

A recent study from Gartner reports that 40% of U.S. consumers who work for large enterprises are using their personal devices for primary or supplemental business processes. The study surveyed 4,300 U.S. consumers about their technology usage and attitudes to gain insight into how devices are used for work and play. The results may be a bit surprising to some.

25% of those surveyed about their use of personal devices at work reported that it was required by the employer. Somewhat surprisingly, only half of the remaining 75% of people who chose to use their own devices at work reported doing so with employer knowledge. Just going to show that enterprise employees are using their own devices for work whether employers want them to or not. This is something that large enterprises should take into consideration when considering the BYOD trend and it’s adoption.

While many CIO’s remain wary of security concerns related to BYOD policies, this data shows that adjusting IT policies to address employee use may be required. If employees are using their own devices without proper security measures or employer knowledge, it could me more of a concern than BYOD itself.

You can read more about the study and results from Gartner.