Does BYOD Work For Field Service?

By Brian Albright, Field Technologies

Most field service organizations still use a corporate device strategy, but emerging tools and technologies may make BYOD more appealing.

Enterprises have adopted bring-your-own-device (BYOD) mobile strategies in an effort to reduce the cost of mobile deployments by shifting the hardware purchase and upkeep costs to their employees. That approach, however, has complicated managing and securing corporate data on these devices. In response, some companies have turned to a hybrid strategy referred to as COPE — corporate owned, personally enabled.

While BYOD has taken off for white- and gray-collar applications in the enterprise, many field service organizations (FSOs) have not taken this approach because they traditionally have used more expensive, rugged, and specialized devices. As more FSOs deploy consumer-grade tablets and phones, however, that may change in some markets.