In the modern workforce BYOD, or bring your own device, is gaining ground surprisingly fast. Morgan Stanley cites that smartphone users are increasing in number globally by 42% annually. Furthermore, 53% of users believe that BYOD allows for better productivity. The struggle for organizations is figuring out how to adopt BYOD policies, which devices to support, and how to effectively manage data and security.

One popular choice for device type is iOS, which is great for the enterprise primarily because it is popular among smartphone users. The first quarter of 2013 showed that by device activation, iOS is the enterprise mobile leader with a 75% market share. A Good Technology study revealed that iPhone 5 is the most popular for enterprises, followed closely by iPhone 4S. Management tend to approve of iOS systems because they support their demands for performance and productivity.

If you are going to move forward with iOS for your enterprise, you will need a mobile device management system in place. If you do not find proper iPhone management, you risk two serious issues.

• Wasted productivity.

Without strict policies in place, and left to their own devices, your employees are likely to spend at least a little time checking personal email, playing Angry Birds, and using their devices on company time for personal reasons. You can learn what applications they are using, and whether their device is getting all of the updates they need with strong iPhone management software. Mobile device management software or systems vary in their capabilities, but many will allow you to get a better understanding of how the devices are being used, or not used, by your employees.

• Compromised iPhone security.

Are your employees locking their devices? Are they using unsecured websites or applications? What happens to company data if their device gets lost? Without iphone management, your organization risks confidential data falling into the wrong hands. When you consider that there will be hundreds of employees with access to your confidential data right at their fingertips, the importance of property security through mobile device management becomes even more important.

Many organizations are finding that the key to better offsite productivity comes through BYOD in combination with strategic mobile device management. The mobile device market is firmly captured by iOS, and there are several management services and systems that can help you to keep on top of security, and productivity. Is a BYOD system with iOS devices in your future?