BYOD, or bring your own device is becoming the norm. Saying no is not an option. Employees are going to use their own devices whether you want them to or not, so having a good program to manage how they do is essential.

Here are five things to know about BYOD:

1. Support more than one kind of device. Limiting device selection does little to change support requirements. And once you have structures and policies in place for one device type like phones it’s easy to extend that to others like tablets and laptops.

2. No snooping. Tightly control who can access monitoring tools and have a strong policy that respects employee privacy. It may keep you out of legal trouble.

SEE: Ebook–Reducing the risks of BYOD in the enterprise (TechRepublic)

3. Don’t insist on nonstandard email and calendar apps. Most modern mobile operating systems can segregate corporate email into a secure container.

4. Provide support. BYOD is not a license for the support desk to absolve themselves of responsibility. Try to identify whether the problem is related to the device or a corporate app. And encourage employees to self-support by sharing tips.

5. Security is a two-way street. Employees need to play by the rules, agree to protect confidentiality and install the security apps necessary. And the business should not overcompensate and make devices unusable. Match the security to the risk.

Also see:
Infographic: BYOD is popular, but not widely supported by IT
AirWatch Connect: VMware boosts unified endpoint management, BYOD security with new features
Report: Your business is wasting money on BYOD reimbursements
Tips on merging your two smartphones into one easier-to-carry device