Build a Supportable BYOD Environment
Applies To: Windows 8.1
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) deployments in education have other management and security considerations such as technical support, maintenance, software licensing, school policy, parental consent, and device lifecycle and warranties.
Supporting BYOD goes beyond management and security aspects traditionally performed by IT. In a BYOD deployment, IT must think about providing charging stations and physical device security as well as how to support different types of devices. This section looks at some of the considerations for a supportable BYOD environment.
Technical support for devices
IT will need to provide technical and help desk support to users, even in a BYOD deployment. Training help desk staff on the different devices is key to success. Where applicable to the BYOD strategy, IT could publish a list of supported devices and establish a policy for the extent of support provided for them. For example, IT would typically support connecting to the institution network but wouldn’t support playing DVDs or music unless applicable to the curriculum.
Maintenance of devices
Closely tied to technical support is maintenance of the devices. IT and the school must determine who will maintain and repair hardware, and then school policy for maintenance must be communicated to staff and parents alike. Successful BYOD deployments place at least some of the responsibility for maintenance on IT to prevent students from being without their device for an extended period if it needs to be sent to the manufacturer for repairs. Alternately, loaner devices can be made available to lessen the impact of hardware-related problems.
Software licensing
Schools should ensure that software required for education is available for the BYOD deployment. Applications may be licensed differently or not available at all depending on the BYOD model chosen. Specialized software such as that for mathematics or advanced research can be cost prohibitive and is typically less expensive when licensed by the school. Other discounts may be available through educational licensing programs.
Certain BYOD models will enable VDI, Windows To Go, and other virtualized or non-native infrastructures, which can help mitigate these costs, but licensing terms still need to be verified for the virtualized deployment. Most BYOD models can benefit from cloud-based apps and storage, such as Office 365 and OneDrive. These solutions fit BYOD well, because students can access their data and work on projects and homework from virtually anywhere.
Security
Choosing the appropriate level of security for student devices is a challenge in a BYOD deployment. For example, can a device be provisioned with a school-managed image, and how does IT ensure security of the devices? For devices running Windows 8.1, a technology like Family Safety may be helpful when the device is at home. Isolated networks and other security best practices can be used when the device is used within the institution’s infrastructure. The overall goal is to ensure that these questions are answered prior to deployment to help make the deployment successful.
School policy, parental consent, and BYOD
With a BYOD deployment, the school must have a clear policy on personal use of the device, both on campus and off campus, that includes software installation, website access, and other uses. Related to this policy, parental consent should be obtained for the policies and the overall BYOD deployment. Making sure that device usage policies are clearly communicated and that parents understand their responsibility for the device and its role in the educational process is key to a successful BYOD deployment.Insert subsection body here.
Device lifecycle and warranties
Determining when a device needs to be replaced is part of building a supportable BYOD environment. In some schools, a 4-year replacement cycle is standard, while other institutions have a 3-year cycle. This relatively fast cycle requires that teachers and support staff remain up to date on the latest technology and versions of software. When not using a school-funded BYOD model, the school must take care not to exclude students who don’t have the latest technology available.
Related to the lifecycle decision is whether extended warranties and insurance are required. Many manufacturers have limited warranties that don’t cover the full lifecycle of the device. Repairs for out-of-warranty devices can be costly regardless of who bears the responsibility for that cost. Therefore, extended warranties and device insurance can help to mitigate these costs and should be considered in a BYOD deployment.