Consider this: according to research by technology analyst group Gartner, beyond 2010 end users, not the IT department, will be responsible for 50 percent of business IT procurement decisions—ultimately bringing and running their own systems on company networks. Meanwhile, according to management consultants Accenture, around one-third of today’s new generation of workers (a group they call “millenials”) not only want to use the computer of their choice at work, but also want control of the applications they use too.
What’s driving this trend? Many have been calling it the “consumerization” of IT with the wide availability of cheap and powerful mobile devices and online services.
Although there have been some case studies of companies successfully enjoying benefits from letting employees bring their own personal technology to the work place, there are very real dangers that you should be aware before adopting or allowing this practice in your business:
- Exposing your network to malware or security vulnerabilities and breaches because of unprotected devices
- Leakage of confidential or proprietary information
- Lower economies of scale in procurement
- Higher maintenance and support costs because of non-standardized configurations
Worried about this trend? Need to define a policy for your staff when it comes to bringing their personal equipment to the office? Contact us and see how we can help.
Related links:
- The rise of affordable consumer technology causes problems for businesses (sc magazine)
- Gartner releases business predictions for 2010 (global services media)
- Citrix tells their employees to bring their own laptops to work (usa today)