Choose your own device (CYOD) works like this: you set a budget per device, define a catalogue of approved models, agree on the employee top-up, involve the works council and prepare each model once in your MDM.
After that, employees choose for themselves. A Device as a Service provider like Everphone delivers choice and top-up as part of its service and gives your employees a ready-made, web-shop-style interface for picking from the approved devices. For us, "CYOD" is basically just "DaaS with benefits". We do it every day.
If you introduce CYOD, you combine all the advantages of DaaS with a consistently user-centred focus on your employees' needs. You trade control over every single smartphone model for control over the process. That is easy to do today.
Define the device selection for CYOD
Some basics on device selection: in our experience, it makes sense to concentrate on the most common devices. For smartphones, that means iPhones, the Google Pixel range, other premium devices and a selection of mid-range Samsung models. They form the core of a CYOD selection, perhaps topped up with a few good-value picks.
Because portfolios, like the whole DaaS offering, keep adapting to the market, the actual number of models can vary slightly.
Every company can define its portfolio with Everphone as it sees fit. It makes sense to offer at least two devices, otherwise there is no choice to make.
The portfolio sweet spot, which gives employees enough choice, is between 15 and 20 models. That way there is something for every taste.
Listing every single entry-level model is not worth it. There are simply too many, and they hardly deliver an outstanding user experience, which is one of the main reasons to introduce CYOD in the first place.
When is choose your own device worth it?
CYOD pays off in two cases, which are not mutually exclusive.
First, when the device is more than an occasional tool for employees, when it is used intensively. People are more productive on a device, and above all an operating system, that suits them and that they know. If iOS enthusiasts have to work on Android, frustration is guaranteed.
Second, when employees can also use the device privately. That is the basic idea behind Everphone's DaaS, because it is more sustainable and a real benefit. And that benefit gets really good once people can pick their own phone.
Step 1: set a budget per device
The budget is the upper limit the company pays. Employees cover anything above it themselves. It is set per device category.
An example with made-up numbers, for illustration only: if the budget for a smartphone is €35 a month, a standard model at €33 is fully covered. A pro model at €48 leaves a difference of €13. That difference is the top-up.
| Model (example) | Monthly cost | Budget | Top-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard model | €33 | €35 | €0 |
| Pro model | €48 | €35 | €13 |
| Foldable model | €70 | €35 | €35 |
Important for the rollout: the budget should reflect what employees need for their work, not the most expensive device in the catalogue.
Step 2: define the CYOD portfolio (device catalogue)
Pick a handful of models. At least one should come in under the budget, so that employees who don't want to pay a top-up can still get a phone they can use privately.
We recommend offering both iOS and Android. If your IT support doesn't feel up to that: no problem, because under Device as a Service, Everphone provides the support anyway.
The portfolio is not set in stone, of course. New models are added regularly and old ones drop out. You simply discuss the details with your Everphone account manager to update your portfolio from time to time.
Step 3: set the rules for the top-up
The top-up is the part that raises the most questions in practice. Typical questions are:
- Does the top-up apply to all models above the budget or only to selected ones?
- When and how does it fall due, as a one-off or on an ongoing basis?
- What happens if the person leaves the company before the end of the term?
- How is it shown during the selection process? The difference should be visible before anyone orders.
In practice, this is all straightforward: employees get access to the Everphone portal (even early during onboarding, using a login token) and simply choose their device there.
The top-up levels are shown transparently for every device. The employer decides whether the top-up comes out of gross or net pay. Everphone passes the top-up data automatically to the customer's accounting or HR software.
Step 4: involve the works council and data protection early
As soon as a device can record usage or location data, an existing works council has a co-determination right under section 87(1) no. 6 of the German Works Constitution Act (BetrVG). That applies whether you introduce CYOD, COPE or a single standard device. In Germany, a works council is the elected body that represents employees in a company.
The choice model itself is rarely the problem. Conflicts arise over what the MDM can see. So agree together which data is collected and which is not, and put it in writing. If you do that after the rollout, you lose time and trust.
If the device is used privately, a clean separation of private and work data is essential. Today that is easy with simple technical measures and an MDM (mobile device management software). The article on data separation on company phones shows what that looks like.
Step 5: prepare each model once in your MDM
The effort for IT does not come from the selection but from the preparation. For every model in the catalogue, you create a configuration profile, app packages and security policies once. After that, setting up a device is a standard process, whichever model was chosen.
Test every new model on a device before adding it to the catalogue. A model that doesn't run cleanly in your MDM doesn't belong in the selection, even if it's popular. The overview of company phone device management shows how management and rollout fit together. With Everphone you don't have to do any of this; enrolment is part of our service.
Step 6: build the choice into your onboarding process
The best time for the choice is before the first day of work. The device should be there when the new colleague arrives. For that, the trigger needs a fixed place: HR creates the person, they receive a link to the selection, choose their model, and the order goes through.
The article on ordering devices through your HR system describes how to trigger this from the HR system. Easy.
Existing devices can also be turned into CYOD devices: if a company chooses DaaS with Everphone, we offer what is called a buy-and-rent-back (BARB). It integrates your existing devices, and after an agreed period (for example one month) they can be "upgraded", so employees can choose a CYOD smartphone in the portal.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CYOD and COPE?
With COPE, the company decides on the device, which may also be used privately. With CYOD, employees choose from a catalogue approved in advance. In both cases, the company owns the device. So CYOD is COPE plus device choice.
How many models should a CYOD catalogue have?
At least two. The ideal selection is 15 to 20 devices. With an even larger selection, things get confusing without employees gaining anything from it.
Do employees have to pay a top-up with choose your own device?
No, the top-up is optional for devices that cost more than the company budget. The budget fully covers models up to an upper limit. Only people who want a more expensive model pay the difference themselves. You can read how Everphone handles this in the choose-your-own-device offer.
Does the works council have to agree to CYOD?
If there is a works council and the devices can technically record usage or location data, the co-determination right under section 87(1) no. 6 BetrVG applies. It concerns device management as a whole, not the choice model specifically.
How many employees do you need for CYOD to be worth it?
There is no fixed minimum. With Everphone, any customer organisation that uses DaaS can introduce CYOD.