HANOVER, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TEKsystems® today released the findings of its latest industry survey which reveals how IT leaders and IT professionals view the current state of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and its impact on their organizations. The study exposed the fact that while the BYOD movement is in full swing, immature policies are putting sensitive organization and employee data at risk. Findings also highlight the fact that BYOD’s value for many organizations is, at this time, mediocre at best.
The study, conducted on behalf of TEKsystems Mobility and TEKsystems Network Services, represents views of more than 1,500 IT leaders and 2,000 IT professionals from companies of all sizes. Key findings include:
BYOD Practices
Given the threat of a data leak, any employee who does not understand an organization’s stance on BYOD poses a risk. Failure to clarify the company’s policy and educate end users on security best practices creates false and dangerous assumptions.
- More than half of IT leaders and 65 percent of IT professionals report that their employers fall within one of three extremes regarding their BYOD policy: either “nothing has been communicated,” “there are no official policy guidelines,” or “employees are not allowed to use their own devices at work.”
- Among the organizations that have some form of BYOD policy in place, approximately only half of IT leaders (48%) and just a third of IT professionals (35%) believe the policy is crystal clear.
BYOD Paybacks
Nearly half of both IT leaders and IT professionals believe their organizations are either achieving middle-of-the-road effectiveness or are completely ineffective across a variety of factors.
- IT leaders and IT professionals say their organizations are not effective in achieving BYOD’s promise of higher customer satisfaction (60% and 56% respectively) and lower IT expenses (62% and 58% respectively).
- Responses indicate the main value proposition of BYOD to date has been employee satisfaction with 57 percent of IT leaders and 55 percent of IT professionals citing BYOD as improving employee satisfaction by offering greater freedom of choice.
BYOD Risk and Exposure
Many BYOD policies fail to adequately protect sensitive company data.
- Seventy-three percent of IT leaders and IT professionals believe that sensitive company data is at risk due to employees accessing information from their personal devices; approximately half feel that 25 percent or more of their companies’ sensitive data is exposed.
- Thirty-three percent of IT leaders and 46 percent of IT professionals confirm that their organizations do not have the capability to remotely wipe data off employee devices if necessary.
- Approximately a third (35%) of IT leaders and a quarter of IT professionals are not confident their organizations are compliant with government mandates.
“Organizations have an obligation to protect sensitive data pertaining to their clients and employees,” says TEKsystems Research Manager, Jason Hayman. “Without formal BYOD plans in place and consistent execution, organizations leave themselves exposed. Additionally, they may be failing to capitalize on the potential benefits of BYOD, including increases in productivity and collaboration.”
TEKsystems' Jason Hayman is available for additional commentary. For more information about the survey or to schedule an interview please contact Rick McLaughlin (TEKsystems@daviesmurphy.com).
About TEKsystems®
People are at the heart of every successful business initiative. At TEKsystems, we understand people. Every year we deploy over 80,000 IT professionals at 6,000 client sites across North America, Europe and Asia. Our deep insights into IT human capital management enable us to help our clients achieve their business goals – while optimizing their IT workforce strategies. We provide IT staffing solutions, IT talent management expertise and IT services to help our clients plan, build and run their critical business initiatives. Through our range of quality-focused delivery models, we meet our clients where they are, and take them where they want to go, the way they want to get there.
TEKsystems. Our people make IT possible. Visit us online at www.TEKsystems.com.
