Personal Ipad, do I want to synch corporate email/calendar

[Citadelgrad87]

I got a new Ipad about a month ago. I have a smart phone that is synched with my corporate email and outlook calendar, and it's pretty handy.

I own and pay for the phone and data. I chose to put my firm email on there to stay in touch. Similarly, the Ipad is mine, not a work item.

I would like to put my work calendar stuff on the ipad, too, but it seems that the only way I can run outlook calendar is to synch it with my corporate email and it will get email and calendar entries, just like my phone.

Any down side to this? Other thoughts?

Thanks

[Lifeon2whls]

Not sure about your company, but I haven't done it on my iphone or iPad because we have to sign a waiver stating that we are basically providing full access to the device and it is the "company's" until the email account is removed. So I had them provide me with a company paid for Blackberry for email.

[Citadelgrad87]

Originally Posted by Lifeon2whls

Not sure about your company, but I haven't done it on my iphone or iPad because we have to sign a waiver stating that we are basically providing full access to the device and it is the "company's" until the email account is removed. So I had them provide me with a company paid for Blackberry for email.

We don't have that. Nothing signed, I have access if I want it.

[bigbearbear]

If you don't mind the extra data that will be consumed on your data plan, it won't matter much. Some extra storage will be used up on the iPad but it should be ok in most cases.

Most of my colleagues just have the email and calendar on the phone, it is more handy because you always have your phone with you anyway.

[LightsOut!]

No, don't do it.

Our firm uses Good for Enterprise, but not sure if your company supports that. I would just leave it on your phone, otherwise.

[Jed peters]

I work for a pretty large company (Fortune 10) and when I asked my boss to approve the requisition for me to put corporate email on my personal devices he said "why would you want to do that, keep work and home life personal!"

That was enough for me to realize that there is no need to always be connected. I used to think that I was so important that things would get missed, I always needed to be in contact, etc. The realization is that I'm not that important, and work keeps going on without me!

[SouperMan]

Keep work and personal life separate if you can!

Some companies require the use of group policies to manage devices, and these group policies are really invasive in nature-the ability to remote wipe, change password, etc.

If you are running Exchange Server with ActiveSync turned on (which, should be on as you are getting email unless you are on POP), you should be able to sync your calendar as well. Have a cup of coffee with IT. They might lend you a hand after you give them some coffee and doughnuts

[Jet Setter]

Not worth it. Keep the iPad a "work free zone."

[SonofWWIIDI]

No!

[high_revs]

i'm also a believer of no work and personal mixed, unless the company is paying for it.

here's why
1. i don't get reimbursed or paid for checking/doing email and calendaring on my personal device (unless company gave me one like it did years back but that was just a cell i had to carry around, no data)

2. and this is probably more important than #1, you are now carrying company data around you on a non-sanctioned company device/property. should you lose it, what are the risks the data you lost can be used against the company and will result in some kind of loss for the company (whether that be revenue, harassment from head hunters to execs listed, e.g. time lost, brand image impact, intellectual property, etc.).

[Sniper3142]

One of the problems with using the built-in corporate email sync function is that it forces several other changes required for "security".

You might lose certain "cool" features because they conflict with the corporate email security policy on the device. That is one of the reasons I like to use the Touchdown application on my Android device.

[smird]

If corporate email is and Exchange server. Once it's setup to sync, the IT guy has the ability to lock/erase your ipad.

[ambiguous216]

I wouldnt do it due to the fact that its a personal device. Plus when you are off and on vacation do you really want to see work stuff come in? My work phone and tablet are all turned off when Im off and or on vacation. Life is short enjoy it!

[gogohopper]

You can get just the calendar.
Assuming your IT already set it up.

Settings:
Mail, Contacts, Calendar.
Pick your work acct.

Slide the cal to on
Slide everyone else to off.

The downside is that most likely the work IT policy will mandate a PW gets put on the ipad, which you should have already.
They could also do a remote wipe of the whole thing too.

[stonith3901]

Originally Posted by gogohopper

You can get just the calendar.
Assuming your IT already set it up.

Settings:
Mail, Contacts, Calendar.
Pick your work acct.

Slide the cal to on
Slide everyone else to off.

The downside is that most likely the work IT policy will mandate a PW gets put on the ipad, which you should have already.
They could also do a remote wipe of the whole thing too.

Pretty much this. I would be particularly worried about the remote wipe. They do have this ability through ActiveSync to remote wipe your device in case it gets in the wrong hands or it got lost etc.

[NytWolf]

I think everyone has already mentioned the policy.

I will add though, there are certain implications that come with adding company email to your devices. Should you or your company become involved in any type of lawsuit, your devices become discoverable property along with anything that is on it. IMHO, the convenience isn't worth the potential liabilities.

[GM4spd]

Originally Posted by Jet Setter

Not worth it. Keep the iPad a "work free zone."

Exactly! I didn't realize my company IPhone calendar was readable by
my boss etc. I had pickup dates for guns etc,he was cool and didn't care
but stopped as soon as I got my iPad. Pete

[Citadelgrad87]

Originally Posted by NytWolf

I think everyone has already mentioned the policy.

I will add though, there are certain implications that come with adding company email to your devices. Should you or your company become involved in any type of lawsuit, your devices become discoverable property along with anything that is on it. IMHO, the convenience isn't worth the potential liabilities.

I appreciate that, as well as the other comments. I'm an attorney, everything I do is both litigation connected and absolutely privileged. For me, though, there are emails I need to deal with after hours, and other times I would have to be at work to deal with something that I can now do motley. The calendar function is critical to me because of my non work life, the calendars need to coordinate.

Thanks, all.

[NoSpam]

I would avoid connecting any personal devices to corporate resources, for the reasons already mentioned. If you want to access your mail and calendar on your ipad, use OWA (Outlook Web Access) if they've made it available.

Or if they have RCP over HTTPS enabled for mail, you can configure your mail app on your ipad to acess your email and calendars without worrying about the dangers mentioned regarding activesync.

[skuehl]

wow. several crazy responses here. I will provide you a summary of what I think.

first of all if you can keep work and personal separate great. If it makes you more productive and make your job easier then do it. if you don't have self control while traveling or in the evenings don't do it. those who say don't do it because you cant keep it separate need to learn to put the device down at dinner time.

as far as using a personal device for work. this is a company policy issue. nothing more nothing less.

as far as loosing features and the good service. the good service sucks. but most companies have gotten away from it. so its not likely an issue for you. and you will only loose features if your company deploys setting on the mobile server that monitors for this. I an tell you from experience that MOST companies do not. Probably the most common limitation is the fact that most companies will implement a feature on the mobil server that forces you to have a lock code on your device and they will govern the amount of time required to auto lock. personally I think you should do this anyway and therefore don't see it as being a big deal.

90% of companies are still doing BYOD for mobile devices. Bring your own Devine and therefore the really only implement the basic freateures.

probably the most dangerous but its easily worked around is some companies implement a policy and software that wipers the device if you leave the company. it most or at least a lot of cases it only wipe the data related to the mobile server. In my case is only the calendar entries, contacts and emails added by the exchange server.

the way around it is back up your files so you can retain whats yours when you leave.

As far as I'm concerned add it and if you don't like it remove it.

there are some extreme cases, especially in the old BB regime where the bb uses a certificate and once registered to that cert. if has to be released by your company in order to use it anywhere else even privately. but I don't think this really happens any more. I worked for a fortune 10 company and it was 5-6 years ago.

There is one last issue some peorple are concerned that, for example, if you surf porn that the comapny can see it. This indded could be true. if you are only connecting to an exhange server for example they can see antyhing that the eschange servier can see. emails contact appointments etc... and in some cases they have enabled bookmark logging so you can sync bookmarks. if you notice they install an app like air watch. well then they can see a LOT about you.

My recommendation if you surf porn, do illegal stuff or have conversations you don't want discovered then don't add it to the corporate environment.