How to Safely Implement Bring Your Own Computer Programs

The growing popularity of Macs among consumers is beginning to spill into the enterprise and younger workers, in particular, are demanding hardware flexibility in the workplace. Companies with IT policies that are too strict are finding it difficult to hire and retain Millennials. Some image-conscious executives see a laptop as an accessory (similar to a smartphone) and want to be seen carrying the latest sleek device, instead of a clunky, outdated one.

As a result of this shift, more companies are beginning to offer Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) programs. Employees enjoy the flexibility of choosing the machine best suited to their needs, while companies benefit from happier employees, reduced IT costs and reduced hardware investment. Most companies also see their number of help desk calls drop dramatically because employees are more invested in their machines. They tend to take better care of them and make more effort to troubleshoot before calling IT.

Once a company has decided to pursue BYOC, how should they approach implementation? After working with various customers on BYOC programs, I have learned that there are seven essential best practices to follow. Let's start with delivery model.

Next: Best Practice No. 1: Delivery Model >>