It all started out innocently enough: Think of a frugal party host trying to save on libations. As mass adoption of smart devices became a cultural phenomenon, people began using personal mobile technology in their work environments and “bring your own device” (BYOD) was born.

The BYOD acronym is a legitimate byproduct of the consumerization of IT, which is a complicated issue, particularly for actual IT professionals. Now the BYO-canon is assimilating the cloud.

Is BYOC the next big thing? Cloud networks offer us many modern conveniences: music, apps, CRM, storage and phone systems. These networks work remarkably well when managed by qualified personnel. The tricky part, then, is striking a balance between a well-managed and controlled network and employing services that are pleasant for end users.

Companies that gather resources into a smaller number of cloud services have the most regulatory capabilities. The RingCentral cloud phone system, which includes…