As companies struggle to find the best ways to deal with employees’ personal devices, many businesses are asking a key question: Will BYOD help save money or increase costs? 

The answer isn’t clear, according to various surveys and reports from experts. In one poll conducted by IT services firm Damovo UK, 73% of IT directors said they were afraid BYOD costs would “spin out of control.”

One key driver that may increase costs: the IT manpower required to manage the flood of mobile devices, especially with the variety of different platforms users bring in. A report last year from Osterman Research estimated that 2.9 full-time IT employees per 1,000 mobile devices were required in 2011. But in 2012, that number increased to 3.6 and will reach 4 by the end of this year — a 48% increase.

Despite those troubling figures, most businesses acknowledge that BYOD does bring benefits for the company, according to a recent infographic published by TrackVia.

While managing personal mobile devices can increase IT costs, allowing those devices to be used may save money in other areas. That includes, for example, recruiting and retention — 10% of executives believe BYOD is a benefit that can help the company find and keep employees.

And organizations have become more efficient after a BYOD program was instituted, according to 73% of businesses that support personal devices.

Other BYOD benefits cited by business leadership:

• More creative and innovative employees (cited by 51% of executives)
• Increased employee productivity (47%)
• A greater ability for employees to work while off-site (43%)

Despite those benefits, some companies have been slow to adopt BYOD programs. Just 53% officially condone the use of personal devices, even though 80% of employees use their own smartphones or tablets for work.

Has your company adopted an official BYOD program? What are the benefits and challenges that you’ve seen? Let us know in the comments section below.

And here’s TrackVia’s full BYOD infographic:

Tags: BYOD, executives, smartphones, Tablets