Doll figured city workers would want to bring their iPads to work. City workers face a public stigma about using city-issued computers and smartphones for personal use. A BYOD iPad can circumvent this problem.

So what happened? There's no question part of the problem concerns the iPad's sky-high cost. "People still have to come up with the money," Doll says. "The iPad alone is going to cost them anywhere from $400 to $800. Not everyone is running around with an iPad."

Another problem: hardline BYOD user policies. Doll, his chief information security officer, and managed services provider Unisys went over numerous security options to reach a level of risk they could live with. The result is a BYOD user policy that includes the city of Minneapolis's right to wipe BYOD iPads.

Some employees may not have wanted to subject their iPads to such policies, says Doll. It's not uncommon for this intersection of BYOD and employee privacy to be wrought with legalese and heated debate. (For more, check out .)