Ridgefield Park, NJ – June 6, 2018 – BYOD cost savings are not as great as expected in the long term, reveals a new study conducted with senior executives across the United States. Samsung Electronics America commissioned the study with Oxford Economics, an independent third party research firm, to better understand the economic realities of enterprise mobility, and to help guide its customers in this area.

“When smartphones first began to show their potential as business tools, we saw a wave of organizations jump on board with BYOD policies, encouraged by the promise of cost savings and employee satisfaction,” said Eric McCarty, Vice President, Mobile B2B Product Marketing, Samsung Electronics America. “Now, with some time and understanding of the total long-term costs and complexities of the BYOD model, we are seeing the pendulum swing the other way. Not only are many organizations looking again at providing employees with work smartphones, those that do invest proactively are realizing tremendous value from greater device management, customization and enterprise applications.”

Among the key findings:

  • Modern work is mobile work. Nearly 80% of survey respondents say employees cannot do their jobs effectively without a mobile phone, and three-quarters say mobile devices are essential to workflows.
  • BYOD remains popular, but organizations increasingly support employee costs. Just 17% of organizations provide mobile phones to all employees, with the remainder providing them to some employees (52%) or relying entirely on BYOD (31%). A growing number of companies with BYOD policies are paying some or all of their employees’ mobile service costs.
  • Management and support costs more than device acquisition. Most BYOD companies maintain device management programs to ensure data security and employee productivity. Management overheads (including IT administrators, third-party service providers, and software licenses) can add 25%–40% of the overall cost of enterprise mobile programs, depending on company size and other factors.
  • Different goals shape different approaches. Companies that prioritize the effectiveness of mobile workflows and applications are more likely to provide devices to all employees (65%); cost, security, and corporate culture are other motivations behind the device policy choice. However, many may not understand which mobile enablement strategy is best for their needs.
  • Strategic value takes investment. Companies that provide phones to some or all employees see measurable value in terms of productivity, ease of collaboration, and the ability to get the job done in a timely manner. BYOD respondents report lower satisfaction rates with their mobile devices when used as work tools (69% vs. 78% or more for those at companies that provide devices to a significant portion of their workforce).
  • The right mix of BYOD and employer-provided phones is a marker of maturity. Those who provide mobile phones to more than 20% of employees tend to have the most mature mobile enablement strategies, in terms of their management policies and mobile workflows; they also report the most value from their mobile policies.

Respondents were sorted into four groups: Organizations relying upon employees to bring their own devices (BYOD only); those providing devices to a small percentage of employees (limited Employer Provided Device program); those issuing devices to a larger percentage of employees (broad EPD program); and those providing phones to all employees (EPD only). More mature approaches recognize the true potential of mobility by treating the mobile workforce as a strategic investment instead of a cost center.

“If mobility is a strategic goal, then it makes sense to look beyond one-time cost considerations to longer-term investments and value,” says Adrianna Gregory, Assistant Managing Editor at Oxford Economics. “The truth is that if mobile devices are required for many jobs, executives should adjust to this new reality.”

Click here to download the Oxford Economics study: https://www.samsung.com/us/business/short-form/maximizing-mobile-value/

Calculate your total investment in enterprise mobile phones compared to the industry average: https://insights.samsung.com/mobile-cost-calculator/

Register for an upcoming webinar presented by Oxford Economic and Samsung: https://business.samsungusa.com/OxfordEconomics1806