Is Virginia Paving the Way for BYOD?

Public and private companies alike have been wrestling with the pros and cons of BYOD for a while now, but the state of Virginia is pushing forward to not only have some of its agencies adopt BYOD policies, but to make it statewide.

The Virginia Technologies Agency (VITA) “has established a platform for bringing state employees’ personal devices into the enterprise and hopes to have nearly all employees using their own devices within a few years.” Right now only 5% of employee mobile devices are personal, but the hope is that in the net few years, that will go up to nearly 100%.

The question of security, especially when it comes to the personal and company data of all of Virginia’s agencies, is an important one. The answer is Good for Enterprise, made by Good Technology.

Good for Enterprise, an Overview

1. “Provides secure e-mail, contacts, messaging, calendar, browser and document storage in an encrypted cloud-based environment.”
2. The app can run on almost any mobile device.
3. Access to the app is password protected.
4. The app sets up an “encrypted virtual ‘container’” on the employee’s mobile device, holding all work-related data and keeping it separate from personal data.
5. In the event of theft, hacking, or a virus, the company can remotely wipe all of the data from the app, but will not erase the personal data.

With this program, the state of Virginia seems to have addressed many of the concerns by both employees and employers, mainly separating the data. Many employees are excited to be able to use their own device, and those who are wary are offered an incentive in the form of a stipend that can go towards buying the device of their choice. Is this the win-win situation that we’ve been hoping for?

Do you think this will succeed in going statewide?

Will other states do the same?

Quotes from GCN- “BYOD Goes Statewide in Virginia”