New global research from Aruba Networks shows that consumer mobility truly arrived in 2013 – over half (57%) of consumers in the developed world now own three or more connected devices.
Looking to 2014, this demand for mobile devices shows no sign of abating, as 42% of consumers plan to purchase a tablet and a further 34% will acquire a new smartphone.
With a large number of these devices already sitting on enterprise networks – Aruba is predicting a marked shift in how businesses manage BYOD policies in order to engender employee trust and productivity.
"Across most enterprises, the last few years have been focused on making sure BYOD was secure and reliable", says Chris Kozup, Senior Director at Aruba Networks.
"2014 will see businesses shifting their strategy to focus on empowerment, looking at how businesses can place BYOD/X into the hands of their employees and ultimately enhance their business".
Global research from earlier this year reveals that 53% of consumers are already bringing their personal devices into the workplace in order to help do their jobs.
But figures suggest 45% of consumers are concerned that declaring their device to their employers would result in the loss of productivity or even interference with personal data, suggesting the issue of employee trust must still be overcome within BYOD.
"It’s not just about offering BYOD anymore. We’ve moved on from that; employees expect much more and if businesses get it right, they can reap the rewards in productivity", Kozup added.
