--- title: "VMware Bets Big on Mobility, Proper BYOD Policies & IT's Cloud Expectations: Weekly Roundup" description: VMware’s acquisition this week of AirWatch is the latest example of the fuzzy distinction between mobility and the cloud. And that's not the half of it. It's harder than ever to determine where personal data ends and work data begins — or what boundary will fall next. canonical_url: https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/vmware-bets-big-mobility-proper-byod-policies-its-cloud-expectations-weekly-roundup/ locale: en last_updated: 2026-10-27 --- [Acronis Blog](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/) # VMware Bets Big on Mobility, Proper BYOD Policies & IT's Cloud Expectations: Weekly Roundup VMware’s acquisition this week of AirWatch is the latest example of the fuzzy distinction between mobility and the cloud. And that's not the half of it. It's harder than ever to determine where personal data ends and work data begins — or what boundary will fall next. [Learn More](https://www.acronis.com/en/products/cyber-protect/) [![Image 2: Acronis Editorial Team](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/d85707ae91461544212d39836dc32b42.png)](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/acronis/ "Acronis Editorial Team") [Acronis Editorial Team](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/acronis/) 2 min read Last updated 26 January 2015 VMware’s acquisition this week of AirWatch is the latest example of the fuzzy distinction between mobility and the cloud. And that's not the half of it. It's harder than ever to determine where personal data ends and work data begins — or what boundary will fall next. Here's a look at this week's stories on on the blurred lines between mobility and the cloud, what IT buyers expect from cloud investments, how to craft that perfect BYOD policy and more: **1. What the VMware’s / AirWatch Acquisition Means for Mobility** “VMware bought AirWatch for $1.5 billion because cloud/mobile is a false distinction,” [tweeted](https://twitter.com/qhardy/status/426052877782491136) Quentin Hardy, the New York Times deputy tech editor. What does he mean? Hardy predicts that industry consolidation will lead to the collapse of categories such as mobile and the cloud, making the separation between personal and work data much harder to distinguish. As Alan Dabbier, co-founder of AirWatch, told The New York Times, “Mobility is changing how people find their friends, their entertainment and their work content.” _Read more at New York Times Blog_ **2. Survey:****IT Buyers' Cloud Expectations** Why do IT buyers invest in the cloud, and what do they expect in 2014? According to new GigaOm research, it depends on the type of company. Scalability and agility are what the most cutting-edge companies (think small, nimble startups vs. large companies) look for in their cloud investments, while mainstream enterprises cite cost savings. The survey found that cost, however, is no longer an adequate measure of success. Instead, companies invest in the cloud because of the long-term benefits such as increased productivity and collaboration. “Complete return on investment instead of opportunity-cost analyses as measured on an end-to-end basis at the business level is increasingly required to measure the cloud’s importance and impact," writes Laura Stuart, the report's author. _Read more at Gigaom_ **3. Why IT Naysayers Need to Embrace the Cloud** Add job security to the list IT managers' concerns withe the cloud. That's the refrain Tony Asaro, CEO of private equity firm INI Group, heard while speaking at a recent technology conference — and he argues that it's misguided. "Cloud computing isn't a threat to IT jobs," says Asaro, explaining that IT's role will expand and grow with the advancements in cloud technology. “Cloud can play a significant role in your environments without incurring [major] capital costs. Look, the reason why virtualization took off is because it actually increased our efficiency and cloud can do the same thing. So it’s not an all or nothing proposition.” _Read more at_ _SiliconAngle_ **4. Mitigate Risk with a BYOD Policy** At the end of the day, BYOD policies are about data management. In a Q&A with the Wall Street Journal, Good Technologies CEO Christy Wyatt explains what makes a great BYOD policy, why they matter — and what oversight companies should have over employee's devices. Here are a few guidelines Wyatt recommends that companies follow: * **Clear communication**: “The company needs to be really clear on what employees are allowed to do and what they are not allowed to do, and what the company is allowed to do and not allowed to do.” * **Separate personal and work data**: “If [employees] have corporate data in a device, IT doesn’t wipe the entire device. If employees are terminated or switch devices, it is our data ... that we are removing. We are not necessarily wiping out pictures of their children.” * **No single tool**: “Companies need to be proactive and give employees the tools to get what they need done so they won’t feel the need to break out.” _Read more at WSJ Risk and Compliance Journal_ _Image via Canstock Photo_ [Cybersecurity](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cybersecurity/) [Cyber protection](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cyber-protection/) ## Written by ![Image 3: Acronis Editorial Team](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/d85707ae91461544212d39836dc32b42.png) Acronis Editorial Team Acronis is a global cyber protection company that provides natively integrated cybersecurity, data protection, and endpoint management for managed service providers (MSPs), small and medium businesses (SMBs), and enterprise IT departments. [Previous post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/4-data-loss-risks-lurk-where-you-least-expect-them/) [4 Data Loss Risks That Lurk Where You Least Expect Them](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/4-data-loss-risks-lurk-where-you-least-expect-them/) [Next post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/infographic-odds-losing-your-data/) [Infographic: The Odds of Losing Your Data](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/infographic-odds-losing-your-data/) About Acronis Acronis is a leader in AI-native cyber protection, unifying data protection, cybersecurity, IT operations and hybrid infrastructure to deliver business continuity, security and compliance with less cost and complexity. More than 21,000 service providers trust Acronis to protect over 750,000 businesses in 150 countries. Acronis is headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. [Add as a preferred source on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=acronis.com) ## Related stories Want to learn more? 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