As mobile devices proliferate, IT will witness an explosion in telecommuting, plus the growth of social media in conducting business – what some are calling the consumerization of IT.
Writing recently in Computerworld, Paul D’Arcy, who heads Dell’s large-enterprise business unit, observes: “The last 24 months have brought an explosion of new devices, web applications, and social media platforms. With every new product release or social network launch, CIOs are getting pressure from their employees, including senior executives, to open the corporate network to consumer devices and allow access to more of the Web. This migration of consumer devices like smartphones and tablets into enterprise computing is making CIOs very nervous.”
“The risks to data security are obvious and real, and the loss of control compared to the days when IT departments could pick and choose technologies is distressing,” he continues. “Some CIOs are reacting with bans on the use of employee-owned devices, but this can be counterproductive. The consumerization of IT is inevitable and likely good for business, even if it has caused some heartburn.”
In the article, D’Arcy explores five trends he believes have brought us to “the point of no return on consumerization,” from the rise of social media as a business application and increased telecommuting to employees’ changing expectations for IT.
“Today’s consumerization trends are yet to peak, which means that the pressure for change in most IT organizations will only intensify,” he says. “Businesses who react thoughtfully and decisively now will reap benefits for the rest of the mobile era and beyond.”
Click here to read the Computerworld article.