What is BYOX, Exactly?

I’m sure you’ve heard of BYOB, but have you heard of BYOX?

At one time, the use of personal devices in business was frowned upon. Companies provided employees with specific technology like laptops, software, and mobile devices in an effort to regulate data and ensure security.

Now, however, company executives and their IT departments realize that this may not be so simple anymore.

With a myriad of technology choices currently available, employees have developed specific preferences when it comes to using phones, tablets, apps, and internet browsers to get work done. Why carry around a company Blackberry and a personal iPhone when you can get it all done on one device?

Enter: BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

In an effort to appease a tech-savvy generation of workers who weren’t keen on the idea of downgrading from their mobile technology to the desktop of the office, CIO’s began to allow the use of personal devices for work.

But why stop there?

In the true spirit of rapidly-changing technology, companies are upgrading to the BYOX policy, meaning employees now have the freedom to not only use their own devices, but also choose the applications, programs, and operating systems that they prefer to use.

The idea?

Well, companies believe that with technological independence comes the ability for workers to expedite their own operations and get more work done.

For instance, by having access to corporate data on personal devices via personal cloud-sharing tools, employees can continue to answer emails, send reports, or approve documents outside the office walls, with the added bonus of using IT tools that they’ve mastered through personal use.

Yet, there are still challenges to this policy. Industries that deal with sensitive data must find ways to deal with security, regulatory requirements, and HR concerns as employees begin to scatter their work among multiple devices and programs.

But this trend continues to become a popular perk among businesses. Therefore, IT departments will learn to adapt to the new BYOX landscape and develop methods to manage it in the coming year.

In the meantime, employees who are fortunate enough to work in a BYOX environment can continue to search for the programs and technology that helps them succeed professionally.

For example, the latest version of Microsoft Office allows users to collaborate and share their work in real time, analyze big data, and even forecast company trends.

Enroll in one of 360training.com’s upcoming end user courses to utilize these new tools!