What is a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) plan?
23 October 2019You’re starting a company and need a phone number to make it professional. But when you get to the store, you learn that you’ll need to sign up for a monthly plan and buy a new smartphone or desk phone.
In this scenario, you have to invest twice (if not more) the amount you budgeted for.
We have another option for you.
Have you ever considered a Bring Your Own Device plan? It is an excellent option for business owners that want to use their own devices for their work calls and messages.
In this blog post, you’ll learn:
What is a bring your own device plan?
A Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) plan allows you to use the devices you already have with new communications services.
Say you’re hiring a VoIP provider for your company. A BYOD plan lets you use its services with desk phones, tablets, smartphones and computers you already own.
How does Bring Your Own Device work?
With Bring Your Own Device policies, you can hire a VoIP or communication provider without investing in new hardware.
Meaning, you have what you need to communicate with teammates and clients but need only a third-party service to make calls and messages.
Think of it this way: with your personal cellphone, you can go from Rogers to Bell without having to buy a new smartphone. You can simply port your number from one company to the other.
It’s the same with VoIP.
But be mindful. For VoIP services to work, you might need ATAs (Analog Telephone Adapters) to use the devices you have or IP phones.
And you will need a softphone if you wish to use your VoIP services in devices like smartphones and laptops.
Does BYOD really save money?
Yes, you can save money with BYOD plans.
Companies can spend up to US$1234 a year with each employee when they use work-issued phones.
This cost can include:
- The phone itself
- Service plans
- And softwares
With a Bring Your Own Device policy, those costs plummet.
You can save a lot of money without compromising your team’s efficiency with a good VoIP provider and a reliable softphone.
Your employees will only need to download a software (like a softphone) to their own phones or computers to stay connected to colleagues and clients.
What are the benefits of bringing your own device?
There are many benefits for companies of all shapes and sizes regarding BYOD plans.
1. Cost Savings
We said it before, but we’ll say it again.
One of the biggest advantages with BYOD is lowering your communications costs.
Buying new equipment from a VoIP service provider can cost businesses unnecessary overhead.
Businesses can also reduce a significant amount of IT and upgrade costs related to VoIP when choosing BYOD.
2. Mobility
Using BYOD with VoIP allows users to access their cloud and VoIP systems even when they are not at work.
Using smartphones is second nature nowadays. So employees love to work from their own mobile devices.
That provides convenience, as they are no longer required to be at their desk all the time.
3. Productivity
By adopting BYOD, employees are free to use whichever device they feel they are comfortable with.
Since they already know how to navigate their devices, they can perform their tasks quickly as opposed to the time required for unfamiliar devices.
Using your own device at work ensures that there is less struggle with IT as well as a close to no learning curve.
What are the downsides of BYOD?
BYOD plans have as many downsides as other communications plans. But let’s explore the most common below:
Downside 1: Higher security risk
Employees will take their devices with them from home to work or other locations. That means higher chances of theft or misplacement.
Don’t believe us?
Around 40% of all data breaches between the years 2005 and 2015 were due to lost devices.
Meaning, your company’s data will be more vulnerable if you decide for BYOD plans.
You can, of course, avoid the extra risk by investing in VPNs and other management actions to keep your data secure.
Downside 2: Distracted employees
Make no mistake.
You might notice your employees are more distracted since they’ll have access to their own social media, search history and apps.
Managing your team’s screen time might be hard. If they work in an hourly/rate mode, you can track time spent in each project during work hours using specific tools.
Again, you’ll have to be mindful. Monitoring employees through their personal devices might generate privacy issues and discomfort.
Downside 3: Compatibility and support issues
Since you’ll be dealing with devices from different manufactures, you might experience compatibility issues with softwares and apps you choose for your business.
That might be an obstacle if you’re trying to create a collaborative working space.
This brings us to another common downside of Bring Your Own Device policies. Your IT support team might lack the expertise to deal with a variety of devices and operating systems.
BYOD Plans: are they worth it?
We learned that Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, means you will use your own smartphone, laptop, tablet or desk phone with a VoIP communications system.
For businesses, BOYD polices bring many advantages, like:
- You can reduce hardware costs by using your own devices to work
- Since your business’ data is accessible via different devices, you have more flexibility and freedom to work from anywhere
- You give your team the choice to use their devices of preference, which can increase productivity
As with any communication plan, this option also has downsides. Making a pro and con list considering your business’ needs might be a good idea before deciding.
You took the first step by learning and understanding BYOD.
Why not share this post with your team so they can do the same?
BYOD solutions for businesses
VoIP.ms is a Bring Your Own Device company with a pay-as-you-go system. Learn all about our solutions and start transforming the way your business communicates. Click here to get started.
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