Much has been said of BYOD in the past couple of years. BYOD is an acronym that stands for bring your own device. Just about every business allows employees to bring their own devices to work. Yet many organizations are lacking in a sensible BYOD access and security policy. Let’s take a look at the facets of a successful BYOD policy for your MSP business.
Recognize That Addressing BYOD is an Absolute Necessity
BYOD is not going anywhere. People will bring their devices to work, demand web access, surf the web, access data, download and engage in all sorts of other online activities. You can’t stop BYOD. You can only hope to allow it to happen in a secure manner. This is precisely why planning is essential. A solid BYOD strategy boosts user satisfaction rates as well as productivity. Perhaps most importantly, it keeps your MSP business network as safely possible.
The Issue of Network Access
Users access a network in three unique ways: through wired connections, through wireless connections, and through VPN connections. The vast majority of employees, clients, and business partners make use of mobile computing devices like smartphones, tablets, and wearables. Each of these devices must connect to your network without flaw. Your business needs a flawless wireless infrastructure. Once this is in place, you can work on perfecting wired access.
Connecting in a Wireless Manner
BYOD begins with addressing wireless networking needs. The proper wireless network design must be in place and infallible, so employees and other visitors can securely access the web with ease. Mastering your wireless network design ensures optimal coverage, performance, and capacity.
Consider whether you are covering each section where your employees and other visitors will need to connect to the network with a wireless computing device. Determine whether there is ample throughput in a given space to support employees’ needs. Ensure the access points are spaced out in the proper manner to provide adequate support for a wide range of mobile computing devices and applications that tap into the network. These are the key issues to address and ensure your wireless network is properly designed for a sound BYOD strategy.
Hardware and Software
The next step is to ensure you have the proper hardware and software available. As time has progressed, people have learned that there is a significant difference between what actually works and what seems like it should work. Features like an integrated firewall, real-time wireless visibility, and a centralized management system should be in place.
The Wired Infrastructure
Though wireless is becoming increasingly important, the wired side of BYOD is also meaningful. Do not overlook the need for secure and efficient wired connections. Such wired connections are still the foundation of every BYOD strategy. Wired connections really can make your network go boom or bust. It is essential that your wired infrastructure does not become bogged down due to bottlenecks that result from a lack of throughput.
If an abundance of employees, guests, and others are accessing your company’s network, a wired infrastructure that provides for a 1 Gigabit edge switching along with 10 Gigabit core switching will be necessary. This level of support is essential if 1,000 or more users are attempting to access the network at any given time.
Do not Make Assumptions When It Comes to BYOD
In the end, the small stuff of your BYOD policy matters a great deal. Do not assume BYOD will occur without flaw. Your MSP business must develop an intricate strategy to support extensive and secure access by upwards of hundreds or even thousands of users. Start out with the development of a wireless approach, move on to the wired side of things and you will have set the foundation for a reliable and safe BYOD strategy that stands the test of time.
