CYOD Vs BYOD: 5 Main Differences
Using a mobile phone at work has become a standard nowadays. Different companies apply different models – some employees use their own mobile phones, while others use company-provided phones.
No matter what device employees are using, they have the right to reimbursement of those mobile costs. In any other case, the company would violate the labor law. To avoid these types of issues, many companies are looking for enterprise mobility solutions.
CYOD offers a higher level of security of the company’s data, is more efficient, and provides better support to the users. On the other hand, BYOD respects the freedom of choice every employee should have and significantly reduces maintenance costs for the companies.
Stay tuned to find out the pros and cons of CYOD (choose your own device) and BYOD (bring your own device) that will help you choose the right model for your type of business.
Security
One of the main differences between CYOD and BYOD is the level of risk that a certain model brings to a company. With the CYOD, the billing is fully controlled by the company, which minimizes the risk of the company not paying the bill and getting sued.
Labor law violations can be very expensive for a company and can even lead to bankruptcy. This is why many of them prefer using a CYOD method so they can make sure everything is paid on time.
If an employee is dealing with a lot of sensitive information, then it is always better to have a CYOD model, since companies can make sure the information on the device is safe. They can do this by installing security protocols and blocking certain applications to be installed on the device.
By doing that, the companies have a higher level of control over their information compared to an employee that is using their own device for business purposes. Although some BYOD models do require the employee to bring the device to the company so they can have the security protocols installed, it is hard to oblige them to do so.
Another thing is that with the BYOD model you cannot restrict the types and numbers of applications the user is going to install. This is why many businesses prefer using CYOD over BYOD.
Efficiency
The difference between these two models can also be seen in the way a company is paying for the bill. With the CYOD the company is fully in charge of the monthly bill and takes care of the bill to be settled.
With BYOD, the employee is the one who is in charge of the bill and is also in charge of admitting the amount of money that has to be reimbursed to the company. The employer has to reimburse the money to the employee.
Of course, the employee has to hand over proof that the money spent was for business purposes since he is using his own device. This can be done by submitting a listing of calls and the ones that have been made for business purposes.
Also, with CYOD you can increase the efficiency of your ID department, not only the finance. Because the CYOD model usually means that all the employees will have the same devices, the process of installing security protocols and maintaining those devices would be much simpler compared to a large number of different devices that are in use (like with BYOD).
Freedom of Choice
BYOD wins this one. Because BYOD is all about the employees bringing their own devices to work, they can choose to bring whatever device they like. In the CYOD model companies usually have one model for the employees to use.
Some larger companies using the CYOD system may offer their employees to choose the device, but this list would also be preset and limited to several devices of the company’s choice.
Employees like it when they have the freedom of choice, so if the happiness of your employees is your primary concern, then BYOD is the way to go. Some users prefer some mobile phone features over others, for example, you have people who prefer using IOS rather than using an Android phone.
Forcing IOS lovers to go for Android, and vice versa may create discomfort and a sense of retaliation with the employees who feel like they are forced to use something they don’t like. This is why it is important to consider this before deciding which model is right for your company.
Maintenance Costs
With the BYOD model, the companies are saving many costs. Yes, they do have to reimburse the phone bill, but all other costs regarding the device are the employee’s responsibility.
This means that if the phone breaks down and needs to be repaired, the employee will be the one who will have to do this as soon as possible and bear all the costs.
In the CYOD system, the employer is the one who has to bear all the costs and take care that the devices are regularly and properly maintained. Also, if the device is broken, the employers must provide a replacement device until the first one is repaired.
Although companies do get discounts when buying the phones in bulk and can get discounted prices for the repairs or data security, they still have to pay for everything and to hire and pay people who will take care of the devices.
Support
With the CYOD model, it is assumed that the company is big enough to have its own IT department that will handle all the issues, maintenance, and initial device setup. This means that the employees will have support no matter what happens with the device.
If they need security protocols to be reinstalled, or there are special permissions that have to be granted before installing certain apps, the IT department will handle it.
The biggest disadvantage of BYOD is that the company is offering no support to the employees. But not all companies can afford to have an IT department to handle this issue.
Some companies that don’t have the resources to open their own IT department tend to outsource this to another provider and apply the CYOD model. This opens up other risks and is not recommended.
