Keeping the Troops Happy with BYOD Comes with a Rising Cost for MDM

A recent survey conducted by Osterman Research is showing that organizations are spending more time, resources and money in order to secure their networks while incorporating mobile devices into the workplace.  Osterman Research is sighting, in large part, this increase in critical business factors to “the growing number of personally owned devices or BYOD that are being used by employees alongside company-supplied devices.”

Osterman’s research is showing an increase of full-time employees needed to operate mobile device management from 2.9 per 1000 mobile devices in 2011 to 3.6 per in 2012. They are projecting that number to increase to 4.0 in 2013. With this rise Osterman also reports that the annual IT labor cost per mobile user is $296 in 2012, with that number climbing to $339 in 2013. It is BYOD and the variety and capabilities of new technology that is causing organizations to dedicate more time, man power and ultimately money towards security and MDM.

So in order to save money and protect their bottom lines companies should just cut BYOD programs and decrease the mobility that is costing them so much, right? It’s not that simple. The fact of the matter is that in today’s corporate environments these mobile devices are needed, and thus MDM, MAM or EMM solutions are essential. The access mobile devices provide, the satisfaction they bring to employees and the productivity they allow for are rapidly becoming irrefutable. Osterman’s research shows that companies are beginning to understand the value of BYOD. Wireless/Mobile-Device-Management-Costs-Soar-Survey-543577/”>32 percent of the corporate workforce in midsize and large North American organizations employed a smartphone in late 2011, the study noted these figures will grow to 41 percent in 2012 and 50 percent by 2013.”