Bring your own questions

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12 November 2012

Last week, ComputerScope’s TechFire series of tech briefings saw back to back events in Dublin and Cork.

This was thanks to partners BT and Cisco, and was not only the first time that back to back events were held, but also the first time that the series had visited Cork.
With the series now well bedded-in in terms of format, it was still very interesting to see the different emphasis from the audiences in terms of key areas of interest.

The topic was the ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) phenomenon, with a specific focus on risk. Experts from BT and Cisco, as well as implementers CWSI, gave outlines on best practice and related experiences from various users and customers.

 

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The balance of the events is very much in favour of interactivity, with the presentations being kept brief. As attendees register for the event, they are given an opportunity to ask a question which is then put to the panel on the day. More than 30 questions were received and there were common themes running throughout. Security, compliance, cost, business case and other themes were clear from the questions, but as always happens when people gather in a room to hear information, there were shifts in emphasis both days.

In Dublin, the questions on the morning were around a data protection theme, where both the security and ownership of the data were discussed. Of particular interest seemed to be the issues around dual-use devices that are owned by the user. Questions were asked about what happens if inappropriate material on such a device was backed-up to a company system, is there a liability. Of course, inappropriate material need not mean criminal or even obscene, but could relate to privately held views expressed via social media.
There was also interest in the Dublin event in the case of the need or a remote wipe, and what the implications would be if personal data was lost. The case was cited of a US worker whose laptop was wiped, along with his unpublished novel.

In Cork, while these themes were addressed, there was significant interest in the issue of licensing. A question was asked with regard to the need for multiple licenses for mobile devices when accessing the likes of a browser-delivered CRM system. The panel reported that in such cases, a licence per device is indeed required, though it was also mentioned that several vendors often provide bundle of such licences for free initially. The overall opinion offered by the expert panel was to check with vendor of each application before use.

This issue was further explored as a means of data control, as enterprise applications are often accessed from mobile devices through dedicated clients. It was pointed out that such access gives a greater degree of control over data as it is often segregated from other data by the client app and is therefore more easily identified in the case of an end of life device, or remote wipe.

In both events, the panel discussion, being a mix of the pre-submitted questions and audience interaction, went full time indicating the level of interest and the need for information on the topic.

The detail and specifics of the questions belied the struggle that many organisations are facing in terms of demand for BYOD and the need to implement any such programme safely and appropriately.

What is clear is that the Irish ICT sector is not far behind the rest of the world on this trend and will not be denied the benefits. However, the major message from the panellists for the events was that even if BYOD is not appropriate for your organisation, then you must have a BYOD policy that states just that. But if you are to embark on any type of BYOD or even subsidised or supplied mobile device programme, the process begins with a clear, well-defined and well-thought out policy.

To find out about future TechFire events see www.techfire.ie

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