There is an ongoing push lately for BYOD options- “Bring Your Own Device”, where an employee can set up their personal smart phone or tablet computer to work on job-related information. These options can be a great savings for any company in costs, both for hardware and for monthly subscriptions, but must be managed carefully to keep on top of critical security concerns.
Strong, enforced security policies are a must. At the very least, an option to disable the device remotely should be installed. Clear policies about what information should and should not be accessed by a personal device are also important- financial data and similar are just too important to risk in many cases. There are apps and services which will enable this capability, and they are much more affordable than the full cost of a new device, but they do take up space on what is still a personal device for the employee, and some other consideration or compensation may be appropriate.
There are a lot of powerful ways to save time and money with modern devices, and it’s important for any business to take advantage of them- but be careful with your sensitive information, and be sure to take the risks seriously.