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A survey of over 232 IT managers and directors across the UK has revealed their varying opinions towards the implementation of BYOD strategies.
Conducted by Insight UK, the poll took into account firms with an annual average IT spend of between £50,000 and £100m and with an employee count of 10,000 and above.
It also looked at companies from a variety of different industries, such as retail, education, financial & banking and manufacturing.
All of those polled within the survey were asked how mobility and BYOD strategies had affected their business.
Interestingly, 79 per cent of those asked stated they were not in the process of implementing a BYOD strategy. However, 82 per cent of those who did noticed visible improvements in staff morale as a result.
A consideration of the survey was the notion that BYOD boosts confidence, something reinforced by this noticeable improvement in staff morale.
One individual questioned on the topic said: "Evidently the rise of the Apple iDevices have made this (BYOD) more appealing to the user especially with the ability to work anywhere and anytime."
Whilst only a small number are currently implementing such strategies, 71 per cent of those asked believed that BYOD had no negative effects on productivity, which would indicate that other factors are holding back a roll out of such a strategy.
Costs of BYOD were a key issue for those questioned, as while only 18 per cent believed it would reduce IT costs, 28 per cent found the hidden costs associated with BYOD were a turn off.
One participant of the survey stated: "The hidden costs will be trying to support iOS & Android and Windows 7 & 8 and Macs when we currently only have one."
Commenting on the survey and its results, Ashley Gatehouse of Insight UK added: "I think the survey clearly demonstrates that opinions are still divided when it comes to BYOD within the enterprise."
"Obviously staff welcome the flexibility such strategies bring, but the results also indicate apprehension from many in IT. It’s clear that this is an area where businesses are still looking for guidance around implementation and cost, and perhaps one where IT managers might have to come to some kind of arrangement with the needs of an ever-demanding workforce," he continued.
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