A Visual Guide to Identifying the Hidden Costs of BYOD

One in 50 companies gets a $15,000 roaming bill every month, says Visage, a mobile management vendor. If that’s not you, you’re still not in the clear. Hidden costs are everywhere.

There’s a good chance you’re paying for something. For instance, Visage also found that 15 percent of an employee’s business phone bill has nothing to do with business, but rather includes unapproved apps, ringtones and premium services. You might be paying for that celebrity news alert.

BYOD is especially loaded with costs that fall under the radar. Aberdeen Group uncovered expense report processing costs. Network Sourcing Advisors witnessed employees expensing entire family plans. Employee lawsuits about privacy and overtime pay are coming to light.

All can wreak havoc on your company’s bottom line.

[ Slideshow: 12 BYOD Disaster Scenarios ]

None of this, of course, is meant to derail the mobility movement in the enterprise. Truth is, employees are driving toward mobility en masse, and CIOs need to prepare for it. Knowing the pitfalls and hidden costs is a good place to start that preparation. Visage’s infographic highlights some of those hidden – but not uncommon — costs of employee mobility:

Tom Kaneshige covers Apple, BYOD and Consumerization of IT for CIO.com. Follow Tom on Twitter @kaneshige. Follow everything from CIO.com on Twitter @CIOonline, Facebook, Google + and LinkedIn. Email Tom at tkaneshige@cio.com