The rapid proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets has caused more and more organizations to adopt or rethink Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies. And while concerns about corporate security risks and other issues that BYOD adoption might cause are justified, the fact is that mobile devices aren’t going away. The usage of mobile devices by employees within an organization will only continue to grow. For those who are still on the fence about the practice, here’s a look at three business advantages for organizations that are willing to not just accept but embrace BYOD.
1. BYOD makes customer access easier
In the past, businesses with designated on-site computers and telephones were limited to contacting B2B customers within the confines of a rigid timeframe. However, today’s mobile technologies have melted away the old nine to five Monday thru Friday business model. Now with BYOD, employees with personal smartphones and tablets have access to business customers from virtually anywhere and at anytime. In fact, with the broad and rapid acceptance of BYOD in the workforce, this kind of anywhere anytime contact via phone calls, texts, emails and social media is becoming more and more preferred in the business world.
2. BYOD leverages social media for business
Not all that long ago, using social media was something employees did only when they were “off the clock”. But with the mobile device explosion, social media has quickly become a way for company employees to communicate and collaborate between one another. And BYOD obviously facilitates the process. In addition, using social media in marketing and as a means of reaching out to customers can be dramatically enhanced through BYOD. When adopting a BYOD practice, organizations will need to address and update their social media policies, as well as formulating new strategies to fully leverage the productive and promotive power of social media on mobile devices.
3. BYOD Brings Big Data analytics into the equation
For businesses, BYOD is all about connectivity and collaboration. And cloud based big data analytics through Hadoop in the Cloud takes both to the next level. Through the cloud and BYOD, employees and teams are afforded the flexibility to collaborate on projects across all platforms, in real-time, regardless of whether they are in the office, at home or on the go. In addition, big data analytics is a powerful tool for enhancing the reach and effectiveness of social media marketing. The goal of social media marketers is to find new and better ways to connect with customers in more relevant, personal and targeted ways. Through the analysis of large data sets, marketers can tailor social content to better reflect what current and potential customers are actually sharing and talking about. Analyzing social data can also provide insights into customer habits, patterns, and buying behaviors that can help inform social media campaigns and make personalized one-to-one marketing a reality. Paired with big data analytics, BYOD plays an important role by allowing employees greater flexibility to facilitate, monitor and measure the effectiveness of social media campaigns.
Organizations that adopt a BYOD policy have a clear competitive advantage over those that don’t. Aside from the benefits mentioned above, a major generational benefit is coming into play as more and more Millennials enter the workforce. Being a generation that has grown to depend on mobile devices and social media as a fundamental means of connecting and communicating with others, Millennials will at first expect and eventually demand to use their mobile devices in the workforce. As a result, only those organizations that adopt and embrace BYOD will be able to attract and keep top employees going forward.
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