Australian companies addressing BYOD policies

Employees in Australia aren't sitting around and waiting for their employers to introduce them to new mobile technology. Rather, many workers are taking the initiative and are bringing their own mobile devices to the workplace.

According to a report from IT company Unisys and research firm IDC, 23 percent of tablet computers in the Australian workplace were purchased by staff rather than the companies themselves. Additionally, 39 percent of smartphones were also purchased and paid for by employees.

On one hand, bring your own device, or BYOD, policies provide businesses with the opportunity to bolster employee productivity without having to spend on extra equipment. Employees can bring whatever mobile device they choose to the workplace and then take it home at the end of the day, thus extending their access to business information.

However, businesses must be mindful of the security challenges of BYOD policies. According to the report, many IT executives harbor concerns that allowing employees to bring their own devices to work may put them at risk of viruses and data leakage.

These concerns are echoed in a ZDNet report by business journalist Heather Clancy, who notes that while tablets offer myriad productivity benefits, businesses should remember to utilize security measures, such as access controls and password protection.