As the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) approach to workplace mobility continues to mature, business leaders must balance performance and security without sacrificing one for the other.

For IT departments, specifically those that cling to outdated policies that restrict BYOD, the problem is exacerbated by having to rely on outdated and costly technology.

But as consumer devices become ubiquitous, businesses have no choice but to provide the same level of performance, user experience and flexibility in their IT assets. These expectations have led many companies to allow personal devices in the workplace, despite the inherent security risks.

Business data kept on personal devices must remain secure, said Cameron Byers, an enterprise security engineer for security solutions provider Sophos.

“Users are accessing corporate data on their personal mobile devices more and more, creating management and security challenges for IT admins,” Byers said. “As workplace and personal lines increasingly blur with the intermingling of devices, IT admins will need to be extra vigilant.”

To keep up with how people want to work, Samsung is expanding its Knox security platform to include a suite of business tools that go beyond mobile to serve as the foundation for all of its enterprise solutions and services.

Balancing Flexibility With Security

Introduced in 2013, Knox is recognized as a robust security platform with a capacity to protect mobile devices at every layer — from hardware through software to application.

One of the reasons Knox succeeds in the enterprise as a security solution is the Knox Platform for Enterprise, which meets two critical customer needs — privacy and security. Knox Platform for Enterprise is a container that runs on the platform and is designed to isolate, encrypt and protect work data from attackers by separating work environments from those used for other activities. In doing so, the container ensures that work data and personal data are segregated; only the work container is managed by the enterprise. Employee privacy is protected since the IT department is unable to manage and control personal data, such as photos and messages.

As Knox strengthens its position within the enterprise, the suite will have far-reaching applications across Samsung enterprise solutions and services. It’s designed to give users the power to find better ways to work while protecting sensitive data, allowing them to focus on new business opportunities and other core objectives.

Meeting The Demands Of The Modern Workforce

With BYOD solidified and consumer tech influencing how employees view workplace tools, the notion that business technology should provide what employees expect is irrefutable.

Two primary expectations of today’s workers — intuitiveness and ease of use — are pillars of the Knox suite, the company said.

That’s why Samsung has permitted developers to configure off-the-shelf mobile device functions to match up with specific business requirements.

This realization within Samsung led to the development of Knox Customization, which is offered as an app development toolkit and a more granular service. The Knox Customization Toolkit creates purpose-built mobile devices by enabling developers to optimize how a device is configured and how content is deployed. Knox Customization Services allows changes down to the binary level based on technical consultation from Samsung.

Businesses have used Knox Customization to create bespoke mobile devices that save time and improve the customer experience. In retail, store clerks can check inventory and ring up purchases without leaving the sales floor. Meanwhile, mobile devices in hotel rooms allow guests to control entertainment, lighting and what room service brings for breakfast.

These examples illustrate how businesses can use Knox to create intuitive, purpose-built tools that are designed to facilitate innovation and deliver defense-grade security.

With Knox, companies get business tools for the ways people want to work.

Mark Stone worked in information technology for many years before deciding to make a career writing about it. He lives in Canada and also covers entertainment.