BYOD Licensing Strategies and Risks

Organizations adopting bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies should consider strategies for licensing server applications, Windows, and Office that may reduce the risk of licensing noncompliance and unanticipated licensing costs. Typically, BYOD policies permit employees to do work for the employer’s benefit on the employee’s personal devices, and some policies permit work on devices the organization does not control, regardless of where the employee is working. A BYOD policy can simplify work for users who do not want to have to carry both their personal and work devices or who want to use the newest devices. However, BYOD policies must consider Microsoft licensing requirements.

This report is for organizations that have a formal BYOD policy or are developing one. It lists some, but not all, of the licensing risks these organizations will face to illustrate the issues. The strategies discussed here will apply to many large organizations, but every organization needs to plan its own strategy based on its license requirements, software asset management capabilities, and cost constraints.