In this lesson,
we're going to cover mobile device deployments.
Now, these days, mobile devices like smartphones,
tablets, and wearable technology
have become an indispensable part of our daily lives.
As businesses evolve and integrate
these mobile devices into their enterprise networks,
the decision of how to deploy and manage
these devices is truly an important one.
There are three main mobile device deployment models
that organizations tend to utilize,
including BYOD, or bring your own device.
COPE, or corporate-owned, personally enabled devices.
And CYOD, or choose your own device.
Now, each of these deployment models
has its own benefits, drawbacks,
and use cases that you need to consider
before selecting the one
you're going to use inside your organization.
Now first, we have BYOD.
BYOD, or bring your own device policies
will allow an employee to use
their own personal devices for their work purposes.
Many people really enjoy a BYOD policy
because they can use their own smartphone
to access their work emails, documents,
and even specialized applications
that their company is going to use.
It can be really convenient for the employee as well,
because they only have to carry around one smartphone
for both their personal and business use.
From the employer side,
it's also less expensive to implement
because they don't have to buy
all those expensive devices for their employees.
So it sounds like a pretty good deal, right?
Well, there are some drawbacks
that you need to be aware of
when you choose to use a BYOD policy.
Now, when it comes to BYOD, the device
is going to be owned and operated by the employee.
Which means they have full control
over the security of that device.
While this does give the employee more personal freedom,
it could become a security challenge for the organization
when they're trying to maintain higher levels of security.
For example, here at Dion Training,
before any personal device is going to be used for work,
it has to pass certain security checks
and have specific security software installed
to protect our corporate data.
Also, since the device is owned by the employee,
you may not be able to add it to
your mobile device management solution,
conduct patching or updating of the device
on behalf of your users, or require the use
of more secure configurations on that device.
Second, we have COPE.
Now, COPE, or corporate-owned,
personally enabled devices policies
are going to require that the company provides
a mobile device to the employee,
but it allows the employee to actually use
the device for personal use too.
Basically, the use of COPE,
or corporate-owned, personally enabled devices
is like when a company issues a company car to you.
Now, you as the employee are provided with the vehicle,
and the company is still going to be responsible
for all of its maintenance and operating costs.
But they're still going to let you use the vehicle
for your own personal use too, such as
picking up groceries, or getting the kids from school.
This model of using COPE could really simplify
your device management inside your organization
because every single device
is going to use the same basic models.
But you are going to have a higher initial investment
because you now need to go out
and purchase devices for all of your employees,
and this becomes a major drawback for a lot of employers.
On the employee side, there's also
some concerns around privacy
of their personal data being put on that device
because the organization still has full access
to monitor and review the activity on that device
because it is a corporate-owned device.
Now, the employee can then opt instead to just choose
to have two cell phones, right?
They can have one that they personally buy
for all their their personal work,
and one that they're going to get from their company
that they're going to use on this COPE model.
But in this case, you might actually
be better served by using the third model.
Now, the third model we have is going to be CYOD.
CYOD, or choose your own device,
is going to operate under a model that is kind of like
a middle ground between BYOD and COPE.
With CYOD, or choose your own device,
you as an employee can select your device
from a short list of company-approved options.
So, while they get a say in the device they're going to use,
which they don't when they're dealing with
a company-owned, personally enabled device
under the COPE model, the organization
is still going to maintain a higher level
of control and standardization.
At a previous company I worked at,
we actually used the CYOD model,
and we gave our employees the choice
of four different smartphones that they could choose from,
including two Android options and two iPhone options.
Most employees like this model
because they can have a choice
in the device they were going to use,
and our information technology department
really enjoyed this because they only had
to support four different models
of devices from that chosen device pool.
Now, the drawbacks of using a CYOD model
is very similar to the COPE model.
Because there's a higher upfront cost to the organization
because you have to buy all of these devices.
And our employees, once again,
have this concern over their data privacy.
Or they're going to need to carry two smartphones,
one for work activities and one for personal activities.
Now, generally with a CYOD model,
you are not going to be able to use it for personal use either.
You're only going to use it for your work use,
and that means you're going to have to carry
two smartphones around with you each and every day.
Now, you might be thinking,
which model is going to be the best one
for me to select for my business
or organization specific use case?
Well, this can be a really difficult question to answer
because there is no one size fits all answer to this.
Instead, it really does depend on analyzing
your specific needs, your budget constraints,
and the risk appetite of your organization.
When making this decision, I recommend
that you consider three main areas,
cost, security, and employee satisfaction.
Now, while BYOD might seem like a cost-effective option
because your employees are using their own devices,
there may be a lot of hidden costs
in terms of ensuring the security
and compatibility of those devices.
COPE and CYOD on the other hand,
have a much higher upfront cost to buy the equipment,
but your ongoing support costs will be lower
because you're only supporting a limited number of models
that are supported by the COPE or CYOD model.
Another consideration is security.
If security is going to be paramount to you,
then CYOD might be your best bet
because it offers you the best control over the devices
and allows for all of the devices
to be managed using the organization's
mobile device management, or MDM solution.
Now, employee satisfaction is another thing
for you to consider in your
deployment model selection process.
If you want to give your employees freedom and choice,
then BYOD or CYOD models might give you
a more fitting model than a COPE model would.
Now remember, when it comes to mobile device deployments,
these are not just about the devices.
They're about aligning your business objectives,
technology capabilities, and employee needs
to your organization's specific use cases.
Whether you're inclined towards BYOD's flexibility,
COPE's control, or CYOD's balance of these two extremes,
it is essential to make an informed choice
that supports your organization's long-term goals
in terms of supporting your end users.
By understanding the three main models of deployment,
and assessing your organization's unique needs,
you can pave the way for a seamless, efficient,
and secure mobile experience for everybody involved.