If you wonder how widespread BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is among small and medium businesses, the answer is very. A recently released report from iGR, the wire and mobile communications consultancy, indicates nearly 60 percent of employees surveyed among small to medium businesses said that their company has an official BYOD policy in in place. The policy sanctions the use of personal mobile devices – mostly smartphones – for work use, too.
In “SMBs: They Also Bring Their Own Devices,” iGR says that the majority of companies with BYOD policies allow employees to use whatever smartphone 
and OS they choose. Not surprising, Apple iOS and Android, both strong contenders in the SMB space, are the platforms of choice among most employees.
It’s also interesting to note that among companies enforcing BYOD policies there is a trend toward providing IT support for employees’ devices, although iGR says that the support varies depending on the size of the company.
BYOD looks like it’s here to stay, especially as companies seek more ways to cut costs. BYOD also boosts employee satisfaction; employees buy smartphone and tablets because of their ease of use and the productivity gains they afford. This report reinforces the need and value of having a policy in place to manage use. You can find some recommendations for putting a policy together, if you don’t already have one, in “Is your company Prepared for BYOD?”