Installing apps for work on your personal phone?
Discussion
Do any of you work a company that has asked you to install an "app" on your personal phone in order to be able to use the service that the app gives access to?
I'll use something such as SalesForce as an example, but essentially something where there shouldn't be any reasons to feel "wary" of doing so.
If so, did you? If you didn't, what were the reasons please?
Be good for this to stay here please as I'm after feedback from regular Joe vs. people who may go out their way to look at the computer forum.
I'll use something such as SalesForce as an example, but essentially something where there shouldn't be any reasons to feel "wary" of doing so.
If so, did you? If you didn't, what were the reasons please?
Be good for this to stay here please as I'm after feedback from regular Joe vs. people who may go out their way to look at the computer forum.
bhstewie said:
Do any of you work a company that has asked you to install an "app" on your personal phone in order to be able to use the service that the app gives access to?
I'll use something such as SalesForce as an example, but essentially something where there shouldn't be any reasons to feel "wary" of doing so.
If so, did you? If you didn't, what were the reasons please?
Be good for this to stay here please as I'm after feedback from regular Joe vs. people who may go out their way to look at the computer forum.
As a contractor I am asked to use my own phone for some things but this latest contract wanted me to have email / VPN authentication software (I will put the VPN software on my phone) and a few others so asked them for a company mobile.I'll use something such as SalesForce as an example, but essentially something where there shouldn't be any reasons to feel "wary" of doing so.
If so, did you? If you didn't, what were the reasons please?
Be good for this to stay here please as I'm after feedback from regular Joe vs. people who may go out their way to look at the computer forum.
Reason being to have the above they wanted encryption software and remote wipe so that will not happen, I do have my own software for that but not what they control.
But I got to choose the phone so all good in the end.
Yes if things get intrusive I'm totally in favour of the employee simply being able to say "No, give me a company phone if you want me to do that".
With something like a simple Google Authenticator type app I'm trying to gauge feedback because whilst I get that people have a right to say "No, it's my personal phone", it's so unobtrusive I'm struggling to think of a reason anyone should have an issue and refuse, other than simply because they can.
With something like a simple Google Authenticator type app I'm trying to gauge feedback because whilst I get that people have a right to say "No, it's my personal phone", it's so unobtrusive I'm struggling to think of a reason anyone should have an issue and refuse, other than simply because they can.
bhstewie said:
Yes if things get intrusive I'm totally in favour of the employee simply being able to say "No, give me a company phone if you want me to do that".
With something like a simple Google Authenticator type app I'm trying to gauge feedback because whilst I get that people have a right to say "No, it's my personal phone", it's so unobtrusive I'm struggling to think of a reason anyone should have an issue and refuse, other than simply because they can.
As a company you have to think of the "you installed stuff on my phone and now it is broken" Can you prove this who knows. Regardless if they want to or not.With something like a simple Google Authenticator type app I'm trying to gauge feedback because whilst I get that people have a right to say "No, it's my personal phone", it's so unobtrusive I'm struggling to think of a reason anyone should have an issue and refuse, other than simply because they can.
I worked a contract 2 years ago where it was asked that they install something and I forget what it was but they then had claims for shed loads of phones.
It is a slipper slope in my eyes but others may see it differently. My situation is different to most.
bhstewie said:
Yes if things get intrusive I'm totally in favour of the employee simply being able to say "No, give me a company phone if you want me to do that".
With something like a simple Google Authenticator type app I'm trying to gauge feedback because whilst I get that people have a right to say "No, it's my personal phone", it's so unobtrusive I'm struggling to think of a reason anyone should have an issue and refuse, other than simply because they can.
Any app uses data and electricity, both of which the employee will be paying for. That's not fair, even if it is a very small amount. With something like a simple Google Authenticator type app I'm trying to gauge feedback because whilst I get that people have a right to say "No, it's my personal phone", it's so unobtrusive I'm struggling to think of a reason anyone should have an issue and refuse, other than simply because they can.
Absolute not, my employer has a stated written policy that their IT equipment is for business use only, they are fair on this and allow unofficial personal use, so I am fair and use my lap to etc to check work emails when away, but my stated written policy is that my IT equipment is for personal use only, so they don't get to install software on my stuff, I've had issues that I could not down load certain things when on holiday but my answer is I'm on holiday not my problem, you change your policy and officially allow me to use your equipment for personal use and I'll change mine.
They did offer me a company phone 10 years ago I said I wanted a 200% pay rise to be on call, I will answer my phone out of hours at my discretion but will not carry a company phone with a presumption/duty to answer.
They did offer me a company phone 10 years ago I said I wanted a 200% pay rise to be on call, I will answer my phone out of hours at my discretion but will not carry a company phone with a presumption/duty to answer.
For something as simple as an authentication app I don't think I'd have a problem. I did decline an app for email access though - I wanted the app as it would have been handy, but there was a "remote wipe" clause in there that I wasn't going to accept.
If I really needed a work phone (rather than it being useful for emails) then I'd ask for one and they'd provide it.
If I really needed a work phone (rather than it being useful for emails) then I'd ask for one and they'd provide it.
Ah. The days of BYOD. It's difficult.
You can offer employees a Company phone and they'll turn it down because it isn't cool enough. They've already got a phone.
So instead you offer a means by which they can use their own phone for business. But this comes with remote management and the like because you're (rightly) paranoid that they'll lose the damn thing with company data on it. That's no good either.
Personally I have taken the view that unless it is mandatory for me to have a Company device then I'll just not have one. I can get my work emails when I'm at work.
From a Company perspective just give the employees a device. You may find it remains in the bottom of the briefcase and is never used but it was hardly necessary anyway.
You can offer employees a Company phone and they'll turn it down because it isn't cool enough. They've already got a phone.
So instead you offer a means by which they can use their own phone for business. But this comes with remote management and the like because you're (rightly) paranoid that they'll lose the damn thing with company data on it. That's no good either.
Personally I have taken the view that unless it is mandatory for me to have a Company device then I'll just not have one. I can get my work emails when I'm at work.
From a Company perspective just give the employees a device. You may find it remains in the bottom of the briefcase and is never used but it was hardly necessary anyway.
OK some interesting responses which is good
So, devil's advocate:
Let's use Google Authenticator which is an app, doesn't need to use the internet or any data allowance, might consume a small amount of battery, and you need to generate and enter a code each time you login to a given website.
You wouldn't put that on a personal phone because "It's work" - fair enough.
We can give you a phone just to run that app - do you want to carry two phones all the time?
We can give you a tablet just to run that app - do you want to carry a tablet all the time?
We can give you a hardware token that you have to carry all the time - you want to carry a fob all the time?
I'm interested in the mindset if I'm honest as I don't see it as a privacy issue or a control issue because it's not as if it's a solution that gives us control of your phone, visibility of anything on it, ability to wipe it, it's not something where we're blasting you with notifications or can "disturb" you via your personal phone, so if I'm honest I'm a bit confused that people seem to want to be carrying yet more kit
So, devil's advocate:
Let's use Google Authenticator which is an app, doesn't need to use the internet or any data allowance, might consume a small amount of battery, and you need to generate and enter a code each time you login to a given website.
You wouldn't put that on a personal phone because "It's work" - fair enough.
We can give you a phone just to run that app - do you want to carry two phones all the time?
We can give you a tablet just to run that app - do you want to carry a tablet all the time?
We can give you a hardware token that you have to carry all the time - you want to carry a fob all the time?
I'm interested in the mindset if I'm honest as I don't see it as a privacy issue or a control issue because it's not as if it's a solution that gives us control of your phone, visibility of anything on it, ability to wipe it, it's not something where we're blasting you with notifications or can "disturb" you via your personal phone, so if I'm honest I'm a bit confused that people seem to want to be carrying yet more kit
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