Wal-Mart Initiates Associate BYOD

I recall Wal-Mart always had strict policies about foreign devices,  to enforce security.   Makes sense to enforce these in specific purpose Apps.

Will Walmart’s bring your own device policy work for it and its associates?  by Tom Ryan in Retailwire.

Walmart has rolled out a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program that loads its suite of custom-built apps on associate’s smartphones to help them do their jobs on selling floors. Associates also receive a discount on their monthly phone bills.

In a blog entry, Brock McKeel, senior director of digital operations, said sales associates will continue to have access to Walmart’s digital network by checking out a handheld device at the back of the store. An additional “tens of thousands” of more such devices will be added to stores in coming months.

But enabling access to Walmart’s work apps through associates’ smartphones enables them to log in as soon as their shift begins.  .... "

Rethinking BYOD

Recently experienced aspects of BYOD in the enterprise, so this is interesting.   True you can now use your smart phone there,   But do expect that the enterprise will reach into your devices to secure them in unexpected ways.  For example, in my case automated backups were stopped.   So the personal part of my smartphone was thus put in jeopardy.  Ultimately I had to go to a two phone system.    More in ArsTechnica.

Technology Autonomy

Had not heard the term before, but it relates to how strongly an IT department can act as a gatekeeper to software, in this new era of 'Bring Your Own' tools.    The proposal that it enhances business performance.  The implications.

" ... Since computers first emerged in the workplace, IT departments have been known as gatekeepers … and, in less positive terms, the "Department of No." But a number of factors—including cloud computing, BYOD and the consumerization of IT—are radically redefining and reshaping the technology landscape. According to a new report, "Freedom to Choose: What Technology Autonomy Means for Business," most CIOs and other senior IT leaders now believe that providing greater freedom to business units to select and acquire the devices and applications of their choice will improve business performance... " 

This piece is delivered in the infographic slide show form, which I have grown to dislike. Very hard to quickly scan information this way.  I avoid the format when I can.

Gartner: Mobile Apps will be Hybrid

A Gartner prediction that over 50 percent of Apps will be hybrid by 2016.  This question came to mind during the recent announcement of Windows 10 enhancements running on Windows phones.   Which of those will also operate on different architectures?  A concern for BYOD enterprises.

' ... "Our advice would be to assume the enterprise will have to manage a large and diverse set of mobile applications that will span all major architectures," said Van Baker, research vice president at Gartner. "Enterprises should consider how applications can be enriched or improved by the addition of native device capabilities and evaluate development frameworks that offer the ability to develop native, hybrid and Web applications using the same code base. Where possible, development activities should be consolidated via cross-platform frameworks."  ... ' 

Mentioned at the meeting were 'Universal Apps', though the meaning of universal is not quite what you might expect.  It means that the same Apps will run on all Windows 10 devices,  but not on other OS like Android or IOS.

Rogue IT and Strong Standards

In Forbes:   Something we dealt with frequently.  In a large enterprise it is necessary to set standards.  But less easy to enforce standards broadly.   Exceptions are often made for what seemed like legitimate reasons.  We were often left with many examples of alternate software dealing with a many solutions dealing with single classes of problems.  That often led to huge expenses later on. The shadows of these choices are often long ones.

Bring Your Own Devices

In the APQC Blog:  Getting prepared for BYOD.  A good overview.  Gartner predicts that half of organizations will move to a mandatory bring your own device (BYOD) program by 2017. 
Putting together a strategy,  by Mauricio Guerrero

Security Risks and BYOD

Cursory look at the implications for security of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) implementations.  We were early experimenters with the BYOD concept, and security was an immediate concern.

Fracturing of Corporate IT

In CIO Insight:  Different and becoming more so.  Not going away, as some say, standards and security still need to exist.  But the nature of enterprise IT is changing quickly.   Betting linking to business problems and decision making will be a stronger requirement.

Implications of Mobile Replacing Desktop

If we start asking employees to bring their own devices, that will increasingly be a mobile device. What are the general implications of this direction? Security, application distribution and device capabilities are just a few.  We started to work with this when Blackberries were first delivered to executives.   In the process of addressing just such a question. In CW World.

Working with Shadow IT

In CIO Dashboard:   A term I had not specifically heard of.  Though the world of Bring your own device (BYOD) has been in action for some time.  A survey of CIOs says that some 30% of IT used in business is procured outside of the company. It cannot be prevented today, but how can the shadow be brightened to decrease the risks?  The scenario is common, I saw it often in the enterprise:  " ... Those seeking speed sometimes acquire technology outside traditional IT standards and procurement processes. Then, they realize they need the CIO to populate their new platform with corporate data to power their project. In a rush to innovate, they can overlook the importance of integrating corporate systems and data to fully exploit the unsanctioned technology, reducing risk and lowering TCO. Missing the integration requirements can result in unforeseen slow downs, reducing the speed advantages that were the goal in the first place. Meanwhile, CIOs get an unwelcome surprise that racks up unforeseen risks and costs.... " 

Security BYOD Tweet Chat

I have not been particularly fond of the public Tweet chat, an organized interaction between vendor experts and anyone who wants to join in.  But lately I have participated in a few that have been enlightening.   What is nice is that you get a record of the interaction via the chat's hasthtag stream.  Here is one that is upcoming, run by the IBM X-Force Security Team.  If you have not done a tweet chat, this is a good example.   Emphasizing the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) security  interest for the mid market firm.  I plan to attend. On Tuesday 7/10 at 2 PM EDT. http://goo.gl/bDVeL  @MidmarketIBM   Why?  

Why is this important?:

" ... Sales of smart phones and tablets now outstrip PC sales by more than 2:1 in North America, and that gap is only going to become wider as smart mobile devices go mainstream. The popularity of the Apple and Android platforms has made BYOD (bring your own device) a reality.Business mobility has moved beyond e-mail and into the new world of apps. Business users want to configure and customize their phones for their unique needs, and IT organizations are under pressure to support and enable this choice.  This new scenario has created an uncertain security environment for IT managers. Windows and MacOS are mature platforms with a robust ecosystem of security solutions. That isn't yet the case with the new mobile platforms... " 

Bring Your Own Devices

An acronym I have just learned: BYOD, bring your own devices.  The policy of companies allowing employees to use their own devices for internal use.   The practice and the policy has been tested formally and informally used for some time.  We tested it actively for a decade.  Now that companies like MS are planning to provide full office packages for the popular tablet format, it is likely to become even more common.  What are the implications for MS and the idea?