Increasingly, companies are encouraging their staff to use personal devices in the work place. The boundaries between consumer and enterprise are fading now that technology extends far beyond people’s private lives and filters into their professional careers. For obvious reasons, people prefer to use the same technology at work as they do at home. True, consumer technology brings numerous benefits to business. When applied to the world of corporate IT, user expectations and company requirements must be balanced in a measured fashion. These issues have been more conspicuous in businesses which have welcomed their workers to ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) into the office or ‘choose your own device’. Many organisations have supported workers into adopting personal devices at work which they would otherwise use at home such as smart phones, tablets and iPads.
Crucially, businesses must work out policies to deal with key issues such as payment of provider contracts and bills, insurance and security, with a clear outlining of responsibilities split between employer and employee. While the employee may supply the actual device, it is the employer who may have to supply the appropriate security services for the employee to adopt.
Saving money due to increased productivity is one reason companies are allowing employees to bring their own devices into the workplace. Plus companies see the benefit of developing a new generation of technology literate employees, who are able to work faster and communicate more effectively with the use of personal devices.
Some companies also persuade employees to carry personal devices and connect them to corporate IT resources, including central computer networks. It is a strange prospect to imagine employees giving the corporate IT department of their company the liberty to operate their device remotely. This may include, if necessary, the ability to remote wipe if their device falls into the wrong hands or goes missing and if there was a need to hide valuable corporate data. The decision by Intel to ask programme participants to sign a contract that requires them to protect company data stored on their device and allow Intel to remotely wipe the device’s data if declared lost, demonstrates this point.
The market is shifting rapidly as shown by the growth of companies purchasing mobile Android devices for staff, and the tendency for companies to take on versions of social media collaboration and communication tools for their own use. Now company software providers are bouncing back with a range of important strategic acquisitions to ensure they can meet customers’ needs. Recently Microsoft bought Skype, suggesting it recognises the importance of this collaboration with social media and the ability to position itself wisely in a growing market.
The consumerisation of IT has become a prominent part of the modern world of business. But it is important to recognise the risks emerging day-to-day, such as data loss, hackers stealing data and virus attacks, which are major concerns for all businesses. Often hackers target personal devices to get access to information within an organisation. The hacker’s job is made easier by social network websites and badly protected email systems which enable them to access private information. In no time, people’s connection to social media via their device can lead to a broader and more dangerous cyber-computer attack. The key is to ensure appropriate contingency plans are in place, to protect the interests of the individual and the organisation.
Paul Hunt in managing director of Phoebus Software Ltd