News and Insights – April 2015

Smartphones, tablets, and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) culture are reshaping the modern workplace in Argentina. SMBs are feeling the shift—not only in how teams communicate but also in how data flows, where it's stored, and what risks emerge.

How Mobile Device Trends Affect SMBs

In 2015, more than 60% of employees in Argentine SMEs report using a personal mobile device for work tasks. This includes email access, file sharing, messaging, and accessing cloud apps like Dropbox or Google Drive. While this boosts productivity and agility, it introduces serious gaps in control and visibility.

1. Blurred Lines Between Work and Personal Devices
Many staff don’t distinguish between company and personal apps. Confidential documents may end up on personal phones, and IT teams may be unaware of how many devices connect to company systems.

2. Security Concerns on Unmanaged Devices
Lost phones, outdated apps, unsecured Wi-Fi, and lack of encryption are all threats. Without a Mobile Device Management (MDM) policy, your data walks out the door every day—literally.

3. App Overload and Shadow IT
Employees may use non-approved apps (like WhatsApp or Evernote) to collaborate. This creates fragmentation, version control issues, and audit blind spots.

4. Bandwidth and Infrastructure Strain
Video calls, mobile syncing, and file transfers increase network load. Older routers and low-capacity links often struggle to keep up, causing frustration and delays.

Mobile isn’t going away—it’s expanding. The question is: are your policies, security, and network design keeping up?

Here is a companion resource to help you evaluate your environment: Mobile Trend Checklist.

Quick Tip

Make sure your Wi-Fi is segmented. Create a guest network for visitor and personal device use, separate from your core business systems. This protects performance and data access.