The Bring Your Own Device trend is taking the corporate world by storm, meaning your emergency alert and notification system needs to be able to address the new challenges it presents.
One of the biggest changes that the emergence of smartphones, tablets and laptops has had on today's corporate world is the idea of the mobile office. Today, people can work from the train, the airport, their own home and many other locations without needing company equipment to do so. This is not only saving companies money, it is providing greater flexibility for employees to work whenever, and wherever they would like.
Using new devices
A recent study from Frost & Sullivan reported that around 60 percent of organizations allow employees to connect their personal devices to the corporate network. On top of this, more than half of companies have a formal BYOD policy in place, meaning that a growing number of companies are making the effort to adapt to these changing times.
Though BYOD is growing increasingly popular in the corporate sector, there is still a lot of progress that needs to be made. ZDNet reported that one Ovum study found that 30 to 35 percent of BYOD activity goes unidentified by IT departments. On top of this, the findings indicated that 62 percent of employees who use their own devices for work do not operate under a corporate IT policy that dictates what is and is not allowed.
These changes will certainly be addressed by companies in the coming years, but they also speak to the immediate need for them to have corporate solutions that address the multi-screen and digital trends that are dominating today's workplace.
What it means for ENS
The need to adapt to BYOD certainly rings true for corporate emergency alert systems. An emergency occurs quickly and unexpectedly. As a result companies need to be able to respond quickly, decisively, and effectively. With workers commuting, or digitally commuting, from all over, it's vital that companies harness the vast range of devices being used in a single day to reach individuals and let them know what needs to be done.
This means using an omni-channel communication system is vital to effectively communicating with the entire company. BYOD is certainly here to stay, and managers need to be able to address this corporate communication trend in their emergency management plans if they want them to succeed.
