The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) craze in the business world is showing no signs of slowing down. However, managing these systems is still a challenge for many organizations as security needs and managing data prove to be difficult hurdles.
It doesn't matter who you are either, these issues are the same. During a recent meeting to talk about the health care law with younger people, President Barack Obama was asked about his choice in a personal smartphone. When he took office in 2009, Obama made headlines by fighting to be allowed to use his BlackBerry, saying "they're going to pry it out of my hands."
At the meeting he was asked about using an iPhone and responded "I'm not allowed for security reasons to have an iPhone." He did mention that both his daughter use iPhones.
So the question becomes, why is the president not allowed to use an iPhone? An article from CNet attempted to answer that, even though the POTUS did not elaborate. The most logical answer is the ability to track location though the device. This is something that the National Security Agency and Central Intelligence Agency have been accused of doing, along with tracking data from individuals.
Security is a major concern for any BYOD strategy, whether you are the president or one of two employees in a startup company working out of an apartment. This devices contain critical information that is not for outside eyes. An IT consulting firm that specializes in mobile devices and can walk a company though an iPad deployment can become a valuable asset in optimizing mobility.
