BYOD – Bring Your Own Device in Conference Technology
Published: 16.07.2017
In conferencing and media technology, Bring Your Own Device is the term for using private mobile devices as both receivers and senders of content. Areas of application are: Trade shows, conferences, factory tours, museum tours, lecture halls, cinemas or theaters. Users download an app onto their private smartphone, with the help of which they are offered various opportunities for participation.
At PCS, we – As of summer 2017 – experience that BYOD systems have not (yet?) become established on the rental market. Especially for large conferences, it still makes sense to leave the logistics for receiving devices and their quality assurance to a specialized provider. Participants do not have the time to download apps and use them safely. In case of uncertainties, the consulting effort is very high, questions and excitement arise, which must be minimized in the run-up to a conference. Today, the smartphone is used primarily as a receiving device: Data on the conference is retrieved via a website or app, and replies are made via services such as Twitter.
The situation is different for media technology installations. In cinemas and lecture halls, demand is high – especially for barrier-free listening via WLAN. Users can get and install the apps in advance, with enough time. Use becomes practiced and increasingly easier through repeated visits.
BYOD – Advantages and disadvantages
BYOD has advantages and disadvantages that should be carefully weighed before deployment.
Advantages:
- No need to keep large numbers of receivers on hand and maintain their batteries
- Listeners can connect spontaneously
- The logistics of issuing and collecting receiving devices are eliminated
- The flexibility of smartphones makes it possible to use many functions that would be impossible or difficult to implement on specialized devices
- Accessible hearing and interpreter channels can be offered more cost-effectively and thus more comprehensively
Disadvantages:
- Downloading and installing the required app may cause problems and may not be possible for users with low technical skills to do on their own
- The battery of the smartphone is loaded, may not have been sufficiently charged by the user beforehand
- The smartphone can only be used elsewhere to a limited extent for the duration of use
- A WLAN network must be provided to the user. If this does not run autonomously from the home network, security problems may arise
