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Smartphone Guidelines

Smartphone Guidelines

Purpose - Smart Phones are provided to improve employee productivity and customer service. It must be established that the employee has a business need for the device as defined and approved by their supervisor.

New Devices - Ontario Tech offers a standard device (reviewed at least annually) deemed to be sufficient for most employees’ needs. If an employee wishes to acquire a Smart Phone above the base model on the approved list the employee must pay for the difference in cost between the standard phone and their upgraded model. 

Security & Confidentiality

  • Data Protection: Company information must not be shared via unsecured apps or platforms. For this reason it is strongly recommended that personal devices are not used for work purposes.
  • Passwords: Devices must be locked with a secure PIN, password, or biometric authentication.
  • Lost/Stolen Devices: Report immediately to IT for deactivation and data protection.
  • If you are away from office/home Wi-Fi, use a VPN service.

Travel - Any employee who travels on the University’s business must clear the use of the University-owned Smart Phone with their manager prior to the trip. After approval employee emails their request to the service desk servicedesk@dc-ot.ca .

Data usage – employees must be respectful of data usage.

  • Use a secure Wi-Fi connection wherever possible. If you are out of the office, use a VPN service.
  • If you need to join a Google Meet or Microsoft Teams meeting, consider calling in on your phone or, at the very least, turning off your camera.
  • Ensure apps are not running in the background while on cellular data.

Return of Devices - It is the responsibility of the manager to notify IT to decommission and remove from billing, the devices that are no longer in use. Devices and accessories are to be returned by the employees to their department and must be turned over to IT via the Service Desk. All security features need to be turned OFF, this includes the Passcode, Find My iPhone, etc.

Faculty members using their professional development allowance or other eligible research grants to expense Smart Phones. Members should refer to their collective agreement (article 26.13) and/ or the procedure for the Use of Internal Research Funds (ADM 1306.01).