The use of smartphones phones for work has brought with it improved productivity because employees have more flexibility on how they can access data and get tasks done.
Mobile devices have become a vital part of the technology solutions businesses now rely on every day. This has led to the need to consider more than just your personal preferences when it comes to choosing a smartphone.
While 60% of people are hesitant to bring their own devices to work or use them for business use, it’s become expected in many organizations.
87% of companies use a BYOD (bring your own device) policy and expect employees to use their personal smartphones for work.
Using mobile devices increases work productivity by 34% and saves workers 58 minutes per day.
When choosing a phone for work use, you want to do it carefully and consider things that you may not have considered when just choosing a personal phone.
Factors such as security and reliability play a part in ensuring a device will give you the support you need for daily use at the office.
Following are tips on picking the best smartphone for use at work and how to ensure it’s properly secured to prevent breaches of your company network.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Smartphone for Work
Your next smartphone could be something that helps you excel at the office and earn that next promotion or make running your small business easier.
But it could just as easily make your work life more difficult if you don’t choose it carefully.
There are some important considerations that go into choosing the best phone for business use, and typically the features most advertised – like taking panoramic photos – aren’t one of them (unless taking photos is part of your job).
When finding the best phone to use daily at your job and securing it properly, here are some of the things to consider.
Phone Operating System
While many apps will work on multiple operating systems, not all do and not all have the same features across different types of phones.
You’ll want to consider the apps that your business uses and ask your HR or IT department, which phone operating system is the best to support them.
The four main phone operating systems are:
- Google Android
- Apple iOS
- BlackBerry
- Windows Phone
Choosing one that isn’t optimal for your work apps could make your life more difficult and cause you to have to use browser-based applications that aren’t as easily used on a smartphone as an app.
Screen Size / Phone Size
Phones come in all sizes these days, some small and compact and others so large they’re almost tablet size.
The screen and phone size you choose can have a big impact on convenience and ease of document manipulation. Too small a screen means it could be harder to get around in a work application.
Too big a phone can make it awkward to carry on your pocket and harder to hold for calls. Choose to get the best balance between big and small.
Storage Expandability
If you’re going to be storing images, videos, and documents on your phone. You want to be sure you’re going to have plenty of expandable storage.
For example, an engineer or contractor might need to take site photos daily and doesn’t want to run into a “memory full” error.
Some phones lock in the storage without a way to expand it, while others allow the option to use external memory cards to offer more storage capability when you need it.
Securing Your Smartphone
Security is vital when using a smartphone for business use. Mobile devices are much more easily lost or stolen there’s also the chance of it being accessed by friend or family when you’re not at work and business data exposed if it’s not properly locked down.
Updates for mobile devices are just as important as those for computers. You want to ensure your phone data is updating regularly for OS and app updates.
Use of a mobile device management (MDM) application can also add security features. And make it easier to separate the personal functions of a phone from the business side. Using an MDM app at your business can allow you to:
- Remotely lock and wipe devices
- Easily add and remove device access to your data remotely
- Automate updates for security
- Enforce security policies across employee smartphones
- Manage and monitor all mobile access to your company data
Get Expert Help Administering Your Mobile Policy at Work
Many small businesses struggle with managing a BYOD policy at their office. RCOR can help! Our CIO services include technology planning and strategic consulting and we’ll help you plan for a productive and secure use of mobile devices at your office.
Schedule a free consultation today by calling 919-263-5570 or reaching out online.
