For Most Canadian SMBs, There is No “C” in the BYOD Trend

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In a world so dependent on technology and mobile devices, the line between work and personal can be blurred. When it comes to personal computers, do employees prefer to keep their work and personal devices separate or consolidate on one? Are there security concerns associated with using a work computer for personal use? Issues like these have led to the “bring your own” debate in small businesses. HP Canada recently commissioned a survey of over 1,000 Canadian SMB owners and employees to find their views on this “bring your own” trend for personal computers and found that, for a variety of reasons, a majority of respondents want to keep their personal and work lives computers separate.

Although the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend has gained momentum in terms of mobile devices, BYO “C” (bring your own computer) is much less prominent, with 78 percent of SMB owners and managers indicating that they have no intention of adopting a “Bring Your Own Computer” policy in the near future. SMB employees aren’t asking for it either – 71 percent of those surveyed said no factors would entice them to bring their personal computer to work. For a majority (63 percent) the main reason is the desire to keep their professional and personal lives separate.

Some other notable statistics the survey revealed:

• 89 percent of Canadians have a personal computer in addition to a work computer
• Only 15 percent of SMB owners and managers currently allow employees to bring their own computers to work
• Canadians overwhelmingly believe that providing a PC is the responsibility of the business - only five percent of respondents who own personal computers said they would want to bring it to work to conduct business activities

So what do SMB owners and managers need to consider about when implementing a BYOC policy?

• Data security: 43 percent of SMB employees said they wouldn’t want to use a personal computer at work because they don’t want to deal with the security risk of having corporate data on a personal PC, and 71 percent of SMB owners and managers said they would not allow employees to use their own computers at work, noting security concerns
• Cost: 37 percent of SMB employees said they wouldn’t want to have to pay for a computer they have to use for work
• Employee preference: 36 percent of SMB employees noted they want separate computers because they don’t want to be responsible for security and maintenance
• HR/legal issues: 48 percent of respondents cited legal and HR issues associated with using a personal computer at work

Canadian SMB owners and managers are cautious about adopting BYOC. While there are risks associated with adopting BYOC, SMBs need to evaluate the needs of their company to see if this policy would benefit their business. To find out more about this topic, check out ITinCanada’s article: With Canadian SMBs saying no to BYOC, HP offers partners advice.