In today’s economy, businesses across all verticals are forced to figure out how to be more productive with fewer resources.

As a result, bring your own device (BYOD) has become a popular trend fueled by anticipated cost savings in two areas. First, when employees are able to use their own technology—smartphones, tablets, laptops and other mobile devices—to do their work tasks, they’ll be more productive. Second, businesses don’t have to buy everyone an iPad, for example, so costs are kept to a minimum.

Recent research indicates that two out of three companies will allow BYOD by 2017. As such, the global BYOD market is expected to reach $181.39 billion by 2017, a significant increase from the $67.21 billion it realized in 2011.

While BYOD is great for increasing productivity and minimizing costs, it is not without its problems, including the following:

• You’re going to have to figure out a way to ensure that, with all of these new devices connecting to your network, security measures are in place that prohibit unauthorized individuals from connecting and accessing data.

• What happens when your employee is working on a project on his or her tablet and happens to lose that mobile device? Should someone else grab it, that person could very well have access to your company’s sensitive information. Features like remote swipe help prevent this kind of problem from occurring.

• There is virtually no end to the number of devices and platforms that are made each year. You have to make sure that these devices are compatible with your network. In the event that you can’t accommodate all of them, choose to support one specific target, like Android or iOS, for example.

Don’t sweat crafting a BYOD policy; it’s not complicated. By making use of IT consulting services, you can get advice from a team of experienced professionals. Together, you can work toward designing an effective, sensible and secure BYOD policy that empowers your business.

If you’re looking for an IT consulting firm in Norwalk, CT, you’ve come to the right place. Click here to learn about how Apex Technology Services can be your one-stop shop for all things IT-related.