How to set your SMB up for BYOD success

Bring Your Own Device is here to stay after 75 per cent of all companies admitted they will be allowing it over the coming 12 months and small and medium sized businesses are among those that can benefit the most from it.

Before implementing it, SMBs must make it a matter of urgency to implement a fully-fledged and water-tight plan of action to prevent any security mishaps that have the ability to bring a firm to its knees.

Do you even allow BYOD?

The single biggest decision to make is whether to even allow your employees to use their own devices in the workplace. Once you’ve made a decision either way there are a raft of ways to make sure it’s as secure as possible.

Establish an Acceptable Use Policy

SMBs are a group that can benefit the most from BYOD and accordingly a policy must be devised to be sure that devices are being used correctly and at the same time preventing any security problems. The policy will cover all bases by setting out a list of rules and guidelines for personal devices and how they can be used. Ideally the document will be created alongside employees and be progressive so that new devices don’t cause problems.

Educate Your Workforce

For BYOD to work for your SMB, employees must be clear on the policy mentioned above and the limitations that it places on personal devices in the workplace. A training session would be an excellent way to impart this knowledge to help each employee understand the restrictions and allowances they have been given. Once the training has ended each person must agree to and sign the policy document.

Pick An Appropriate BYOD Platform

By the time employees understand the BYOD policy of the company, an appropriate platform should be chosen that fulfils your SMB’s needs. There are plenty to choose from and putting in the time to research will mean pitfalls are avoided further down the line. It’s at this point that the level of support available on each one should be looked in to so that employees are never left in the lurch with problems they cannot solve.

Keep It Updated

Security is the thing BYOD opponents flag up as a huge concern and to make it less of one SMBs must make sure that the platform is updated regularly. This helps to protect against the latest threats that are in the wild and give support for any new devices or software that need to be configured.

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000.