The concept of "bring your own device" — or BYOD — is relatively new to the workplace. For decades, people used the desktop or laptop their company gave them. Then came mobile devices. Now that we have so much connectivity literally in our pocket, we've learned to adapt common work practices to use this incredible new accessibility.
By the numbers — TechJury
67% of employees use personal devices at work
BYOD generates $350 of value each year per employee
A BYOD-carrying employee works an extra two hours per day
Companies gain an extra 240 hours of work per year from employees due to mobile working
Ready for some serious numbers?
The first desktop computer had 4 megabytes of RAM and a 20 megabyte hard drive. The average new mobile phone today has 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage — in the palm of your hand. The acceleration of these specs over 30 years is something out of science fiction turned fact. We have just begun to unearth the vast power we are holding.
Really? I can do what with this?
Since we have all of this power in our pocket, we can use it in so many creative ways to be more efficient. One great way is to use it as a BYOD connection point to a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). If you want a quick primer on VDI, here's an overview, and here are some common use cases to get you started.
After being registered as a user in a VDI solution, using a mobile device as a VDI connection point takes just 3 main steps:
- Download the connection application from your mobile app store
- Connect a small adapter to your phone's charging port
- Log into your VDI cloud workstation
The user experience is very similar — and sometimes better — than other conventional VDI clients. Your mobile device is now a workstation with the same power as a thin client, desktop, or laptop.
“87% of businesses are dependent on their employees' ability to access mobile business apps from their smartphone.”
— Syntonic
We need this, like yesterday
While this sounds simple, cool, and efficient, there are a few things to consider before jumping in. Most people check their mobile phone for personal reasons very frequently — some averages show as often as every 5 seconds. When working for extended times on a phone, the user is forced away from those personal distractions and focused on the work task at hand.
Mobile notifications can also get in the way of productivity. If a user gets a phone call or social media message while working, it can disrupt their focus. On the flip side, the phone being used for work can actually help users compartmentalize — doing one thing at a time rather than multitasking ineffectively.
The best part? It's green.
When an organization adopts a BYOD policy, there is a powerful environmental impact. Since the company isn't purchasing laptops and desktop computers, the environmental strain from manufacturing decreases — making the planet better with each new hire.
If an employee doesn't already have a mobile device, there are so many refurbished phones available that reclaiming one for use as a VDI client is a great way to prevent older devices from becoming e-waste.
Do I need a BYOD-enabled VDI environment?
Yes. For your employees, this provides the best options for flexibility and efficiency. For your business, you want a workstation solution that allows optimum scalability, IT efficiency, and sets up without breaking the bank.
But — for small and medium-sized businesses, setting up virtual desktop infrastructure can be expensive and difficult to manage by internal IT or, in many cases, the business owner.
RainDrop can help
RainDrop provides a fully managed, Cloud-based VDI. RainDrop empowers IT departments with powerful management tools and end users with self-help guidance and troubleshooting tools to simplify your organization's technical operations. Your employees and consultants can securely work from desktops, laptops, phones, or tablets anywhere around the globe.
How to get started
- Complete the signup form to create your first RainDrop. It will be ready to use in under 5 minutes.
- Securely sign in using the email invitation received.
- Create whatever workstation structure your business requires and invite users to the RainDrop management engine.
With RainDrop, you get a 7-day free trial to get used to the system before you choose it as your preferred cloud workstation solution. Full access to all the powerful tools, absolutely free for the first week. Ready, Set, Rain!