Currently, there are over 1 billion smartphone users worldwide. Mobile devices are no longer a method of calling one another. Smartphones give users the ability to not only contact other individuals, but also browse the internet, conduct business, manage funds, work on developmental projects, and much, much more. With the expanding capabilities of mobile devices, it is no surprise that many modern companies are instituting using them as tools in the workplace. Bring your own device (BYOD) policies are often used by companies. But by allowing BYOD, there are many additional hurdles that a company must overcome to protect and manage data. The number one concern is security, with cost and staff expertise coming in second and third. Just to clarify, this discussion will focuses primarily on Apple mobile devices, iPhones and iPads.

Nearly half, 47 percent, of companies that have a BYOD policy have had a security breach because of it. Having strong iPad and iphone security is a necessity to preserving project data. Encrypting data and incorporating passwords is one the first to protection. A third of employees who have used a mobile devices in the workplace say that company data is not encrypted or secure. The biggest risk involved with iPhones and iPads is losing the device or having it stolen. Your developmental data can end up in the hands of anyone. Preventing access to that data is crucial to protection. iPhone and ipad security is of the utmost importance if employees are going to be bringing their own devices into the workplace.

Only nine percent of companies that allow BYOD have a policy in place to wipe secure company data while not affecting personal data. Companies need to understand that personal devices will contain personal information, and leaving that portion of data alone is a big deal for employees. Having the possibility to configure only project data is a possibility of iPhone and iPad management that few companies have been taking advantage of.

Also of benefit to iPhone and iPad management is cloud computing. Mobile device management is a scalable, convenient and secure approach to BYOD. It would provide the company and workers to have access to all data on a shared drive. Data that needs to be secured can be stored exclusively in the cloud and therefore safe from a damaged or lost mobile device. Ensuring all devices are up to date and patched would be an important part of iPhone management when using the cloud. With more and more personal devices being used in a developmental capacity, having organized, reliable iPhone and iPad management has become a necessity in the workplace.