BYOD, CYOD or COPE: Which business mobility model to choose?

When it comes to choosing a business mobility model, organizations look for those that provide greater efficiency, productivity and flexibility to their employees. A solution that supposes a win-win between company and workers. There are companies that have implemented BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), other CYOD (Choose Your Own Device) and now there are companies that use COPE (Corporate Owned, Personally Enabled), but why corporate mobility model choose: BYOD, CYOD or COPE?

If your company has not yet implemented a business mobility strategy, one of the first aspects you must decide is whether to opt for BYOD, CYOD or COPE. On which there is no doubt is that mobility is synonymous with productivity. After all, mobile applications improve communication, optimize operations and offer a competitive advantage to organizations, among other aspects.

BYOD: Bring Your Own Device

The BYOD model is quite popular among organizations around the world. This is confirmed by the study ‘BYOD and Mobility’ by Cass, since 60% of respondents report a 60% increase in the number of BYOD users in their companies in a year. 85% say they have at least some BYOD users and 36% say that their organizations have 1,000 or more users.

BYOD is the model most used by small businesses, which make up the majority of organizations around the world. BYOD provides numerous advantages, such as:

• Lower hardware and service costs.
• Few or no requirements for the administration of the wireless provider.
• Greater commitment of the user.
• Faster implementation time.

However tempting these benefits may be, the model has some limitations that prevent it from being suitable for many companies. The first (and possibly the greatest) challenge is the difficulty of enforcing security. This problem in itself can generate legal implications, since organizations must comply with data protection obligations.

CYOD: Choose Your Own Device

Adopted by 65% of companies in North America and Europe, CYOD is the safest alternative to BYOD. This model allows workers to select an approved device and configured by the company. The organization also has more control over expenses, since it can choose to have employees pay and own their devices or offer a renewable payment. The latter ensures that the organization retains the device if its user resigns or is dismissed.

Some of the main advantages that make CYOD a good option are:

• Lower hardware costs (compared to COPE).
• More control for end users about their technology.
• Stricter procurement standards.
• More simplified support standards.

While CYOD may seem like a balance between the needs of employees and organizations, there are some points to consider before selecting this model. To begin with, the options offered may not necessarily attract all users. Replacements and repairs of mobile devices can also occur.

COPE: Corporate Owned, Personally Enabled

COPE is the newest model of the three and the favorite of large companies. It is designed to give organizations more control over business mobility while recognizing consumerization. Employees receive the devices chosen and paid for by the organization. Although they can use these devices for personal activities, the organization itself establishes restrictions on the level of utility in the device.

This modern approach to business mobility offers the benefits of the CYOD model as well as the following advantages:

• Better balance between work and personal life in a single device.
• More control over the devices.
• Fewer security concerns.

On the other hand, organizations should strive more to establish and enforce monitoring policies. They will also be fully responsible for keeping up with the latest innovations in the industry. In addition, companies must establish strict work policies. All this leads to a slow implementation, which makes business mobility a challenge.

After analyzing both the advantages and disadvantages of the COPE model, experts recommend it to financial institutions, members of the health sector and other organizations that face high compliance and security requirements.

BYOD, CYOD or COPE: Which business mobility model to choose?

Each of these business mobility models, BYOD, CYOD and COPE, offers users many advantages and also some limitations. Therefore, each company must assess these aspects together with their security, budget and resources needs to effectively decide which model is the most appropriate for their business mobility strategy.