Managing Mobility: Mobile Device and BYOD Policy Essentials 

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs have sparked renewed interest as scalability and employee flexibility are increasingly driving strategic business decisions. BYOD is on the rise, now accounting for 56% of devices in the workplace. However, with the resurgence of personal devices in the workplace, security and cost control risks are also rising concerns. Effective BYOD programs rely on well-configured and managed mobile device policies to mitigate these risks. In this blog we’ll dive into the essentials of managed mobile device and BYOD policy. 

What is Mobile Device / BYOD Policy?  

Mobile device / BYOD polices define and establish guidelines for employee eligibility, proper device usage, restrictions and enforcement. Mobile device / BYOD policies also help ensure that employees who are using personal devices for business reasons are fairly, accurately and compliantly reimbursed for the business use of those devices. With changing labor laws and today’s continued shift to remote and hybrid work environments, this is critical.  

Mobile device / BYOD policy is also necessary when planning and managing both MMS and hybrid programs. This enables companies to establish multiple policies to reinforce job-dependent eligibility and restrictions across each program. Companies can outsource their mobile device / BYOD policy to a managed mobility services provider, but more on that later. 

Policy Configuration

Successful BYOD management starts with properly established mobile device policy. Internal BYOD programs often fail due to inconsistency or a lack of well-defined mobile policy. Policies prevent employees from using unmanaged devices to access corporate networks, applications and data, mitigating risk and protecting sensitive corporate assets. This is especially true when policies are configured to work with your mobile device management (MDM) systems.  

Elements included in proper policy configuration include:  

• Employee Qualification 
• Exception Rules 
• Acceptable Use 
• Program Management 
• Fair & Accurate Reimbursement 

Beyond initial creation, consistent policy revision and updates are important for companies to consider when scaling to growing device programs.  

Policy Management & Adherence

Of course, polices aren’t effective without enforcement. Along with the day-to-day management, strong policies use a mixture of positive and negative reinforcement to drive home the importance of policy adherence. Every organization needs to decide what reinforcement points are right for them and ensure these points are properly communicated to employees. 

Policy compliance can be driven by: 

• In-Platform Policy Acceptance for all Users 
• Administrator Accessible Acceptance Reporting 

Lack of clarity on desired behavior and enforcement can result in added cost in addition to added administrative burden and security concerns.  

In-house Mobile Device / BYOD Policy Management

Companies can choose to handle mobile device / BYOD policies in-house. However, without the proper level of expertise, a BYOD policy can easily slide off the rails. What’s more, when handled in-house, management and enforcement of mobile policies can put unneeded strain on internal teams. The solution is

Outsourced Mobile Device / BYOD Policy Management

Effective BYOD programs should drive employee satisfaction and relieve administrative burden. With Motus BYOD, policy creation and management becomes virtually effortless for both program owners and internal IT teams. Whether scaling an existing policy and program, or creating one from the ground up, Motus can help mitigate risk and control costs across your BYOD program by consulting on policy best practices. Schedule a demo of the Motus BYOD system today!

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