The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend is driven, at least in part, by an inability of current corporate purchased and deployed hardware to match the features and expected functionality employees and execs have in their personal lives. Limited application functionality, rigid and obvious security and sporadic access to corporate data have led many to think that the issue is with the devices themselves.

As a result, many an IT department have begrudgingly allowed personal device use as a way to address employee concerns (i.e. complaints), as well as harness the enthusiasm that many have for their own devices.

App, data and security issues, however, still remain un- or under-addressed. While many organizations "allow" personal devices, they're not necessarily eliminating corporate purchased smartphones altogether, but merely coexisting with them. In many cases, these corporate-supplied devices, which may be more secure and/or have greater access to the strategic/business-critical applications employees want, still lack the perceived "wow" factor.

Here's a suggestion:

A.) Send out an employee satisfaction survey to a group of employees you've recently deployed smartphones to.

B.) Then deploy smartphones to another group of similar employees, this time with an attractive and unique case, much like they'd buy themselves (or maybe wouldn't due to cost, but wanted to). Survey that group.

C.) Compare responses.

My guess is that the group that received the case had a measurable increase in employee smartphone satisfaction. Plus, over time, there's likely a secondary benefit of lower device breakage, due to the additional protection provided by the case.

Secret to smartphone success? The "cool" case.