October 2012 - Teletimes

Neil JaquesBring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend is ICT industry’shottest talking point at GITEX Technology WeekThe Middle East is bracingitself for new securitychallenges as the Bring YourOwn Device (BYOD) trend – abusiness practice of employeesbringing personally owneddevices to their place of work– grows exponentially in theregion with no sign of abating.The practice of allowing accessto personal devices in theregion is among the highest inthe world.GITEX Technology Week, whichruns from October 14–18, 2012at Dubai World Trade Centre, isset to rigorously examine boththe potential and issues associatedwith the BYOD phenomenonat the Consumerisation ofIT Forum.Featuring prominent expertssuch as Dave Brook, GeneralManager Middle East, Dell, andTodd Thibodeaux, Presidentand CEO of the ComputingTechnology Industry Association(CompTIA), the hot topicsup for discussion include challengesfaced by today’s ChiefInformation Officers (CIOs),how to benefit from BYOD’scost saving potential andmethods of establishing robustpolicy frameworks to reducelegal and liability risks. FayyazAlam, Vice President - IT ProductionServices, Emirates Groupwill also deliver an in-depthcase study on striking a balancebetween end-user demandsand enterprise informationsecurity requirements, touchingon everything for coping withworkforce needs and expectationsto the complexities ofmanaging the impact of BYOD.The Middle East’s receptivity forBYOD was vividly illustrated bya recent study by networkingvendor Aruba Networks, whichnoted that 80% of companies inthe region allowed some formof access to personal devices –the highest in the world.Against a backdrop ofdiscerning, youthful and techsavvypopulations, industryexperts believe that the abilityto use the latest smartphonesand tablets in the workplacehas shifted from negotiableluxury to a specific demand; astudy by Fortinet found thatOctober 2012www.teletimesinternational.com09