IT is accepting, and in some cases embracing, "bring your own device" (BYOD) as a reality in the enterprise. A new Cisco study shows some of the quantifiable benefits and complexities associated with allowing employees to use their own mobile devices on their employers' networks.


The study found most organizations are now enabling BYOD in the enterprise, with a staggering 95% of respondents saying their organizations permit employee-owned devices in some way, shape or form in the workplace.

Cisco concluded that the average number of connected devices per knowledge worker is expected to reach 3.3 by 2014, up from an average of 2.8 in 2012. IT managers are balancing security and support concerns with the very real potential to reap significant cost and productivity benefits from the BYOD trend.

What's more, the survey found that BYOD is just the gateway to greater business benefits. Over three-fourths (76%) of IT leaders surveyed categorized BYOD as somewhat or extremely positive for their companies, while seeing significant challenges for IT.

These findings underscore that BYOD is here to stay, and managers are now acknowledging the need for a more holistic approach – one that is scalable and addresses mobility, security, virtualization and network policy management, in order to keep management costs in line while simultaneously providing optimal experiences where savings can be realized.

Employees are turning to BYOD because they want more control of their work experience:

• 40% of respondents cited "device choice" as employees' top BYOD priority (the ability to use their favorite device anywhere).
• Employees' second BYOD priority is the desire to perform personal activities at work, and work activities during personal time.
• Employees also want to bring their own applications to work: 69% of respondents said that unapproved applications — especially social networks, cloud-based email, and instant messaging — are somewhat to much more prevalent today than two years ago.
• Employees are willing to invest to improve their work experience. According to Cisco IBSG, Cisco employees pay an average of $600 out-of-pocket for devices that will give them more control over their work experience.

Padmasree Warrior, Senior VP and CTO at Cisco, said:"As the number of devices being brought into work increases, organizations need a comprehensive mobility strategy. By leveraging the intelligent network, organizations can now provide their employees with the benefits of working anywhere, anytime: in other words, "work your way."