THE Middle East is bracing itself for new security challenges as the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend – a business practice of employees bringing personally owned devices to their place of work – grows exponentially in the region with no sign of abating. The practice of allowing access to personal devices in the region is among the highest in the world. GITEX Technology Week, which runs Oct.14-18, 2012 at Dubai World Trade Centre, is set to rigorously examine both the potential and issues associated with the BYOD phenomenon at the Consumerization of IT Forum. Featuring prominent experts such as Dave Brook, General Manager Middle East, Dell, and Todd Thibodeaux, President and CEO of the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), the hot topics up for discussion include challenges faced by today's Chief Information Officers (CIOs), how to benefit from BYOD's cost saving potential and methods of establishing robust policy frameworks to reduce legal and liability risks. Fayyaz Alam, Vice President - IT Production Services, Emirates Group will also deliver an in-depth case study on striking a balance between end-user demands and enterprise information security requirements, touching on everything for coping with workforce needs and expectations to the complexities of managing the impact of BYOD. The Middle East's receptivity for BYOD was vividly illustrated by a recent study by networking vendor Aruba Networks, which noted that 80 percent of companies in the region allowed some form of access to personal devices – the highest in the world. Against a backdrop of discerning, youthful and tech-savvy populations, industry experts believe that the ability to use the latest smartphones and tablets in the workplace has shifted from negotiable luxury to a specific demand; a study by Fortinet found that 56 percent of respondents in the Middle East considered using their own device as a right rather than a privilege. According to ABI Research, 2.4 billion employees will be using smartphones in the office worldwide – a growth rate of nearly 17 percent. Looking at the big picture, a report by MarketsandMarkets predicts that the BYOD and enterprise mobility market will reach $181.39 billion by 2017, increasing by 15.17 percent each year. With Google's annual Mobile Planet smartphone study claiming that the UAE alone has a smartphone penetration rate of 62 percent and Ericsson's second Traffic and Market Report revealing that the Middle East as a whole enjoys a mobile penetration rate of 96 percent, there is enormous potential for BYOD uptake and acceleration across the region. And for good reason - analysis by global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney suggests that BYOD can deliver savings of up to 22 percent, taking into account software depreciation and maintenance costs. A global pilot study by a software firm, for example, reduced device management costs by 20 percent and the budget for maintenance and upgrade tasks by 80 percent. Aruba Networks's findings chime with the notion of notable performance enhancements, indicating that 35 percent of organizations in EMEA expect to improve coverage and capacity of their wireless network to support BYOD initiatives. Furthermore, 53 percent of organizations indicated they anticipate an increase in wireless investment in the coming year. – SG
