A new report challenges commonly held beliefs about the consumerization of IT – including executive perspectives on Millennials as the driving force, employee brand preferences, and hesitance of business leaders to embrace the trend.

The report,  Dispelling Six Myths of Consumerization of IT , from Avanade, a business software firm, also found an unstoppable shift in the use of consumer technologies in the workplace and significant IT investments being made to manage this trend.

Globally, 88 percent of executives report employees are using their own personal computing technologies for business purposes today.

Much has been made of companies embracing “bring your own device” (BYOD) policies to accommodate younger employees and attract the best new recruits. Yet, according to executive respondents, allowing personal technologies in the workplace is not a strong recruitment or retention tool.

Less than one-third (32 percent) of business leaders have changed policies to make their workplace more appealing to younger employees. Even fewer (20 percent) believe allowing personal computing technologies in the enterprise will benefit recruitment and retention efforts.

Mobility the greatest benefit

In fact, when asked about the impact of personal computing technologies on company culture, the majority of executive respondents (58 percent) said the greatest outcome was the ability for their employees to work from anywhere, followed by their employees being more willing to work after hours (42 percent).

“For business leaders, the consumerization of IT has less to do with the worker and more to do with the way employees work,” said Tyson Hartman, Avanade’s global chief technology officer. “Our research shows that productivity and anywhere access are rated significantly higher by executives over improved employee morale or providing greater responsibilities to younger employees.”

Apple far from alone

Though media coverage has made iPhones and iPads synonymous with the consumerization of IT, Avanade’s survey found that while Apple is certainly a factor in the consumerization of IT, it is far from alone in driving the trend.

According to business and IT leaders, the most popular consumer-owned devices being used in the enterprise are Android smartphones, BlackBerry smartphones and Apple laptops.

Another related myth is that these devices are being used to check email and browse social networks. But Avanade’s research revealed a major shift in the way employees are using their personal technologies in the enterprise. Employees have evolved beyond straight content consumption – checking email or Facebook – and are now increasingly using mission-critical enterprise applications.

When asked which applications and services employees were using, executives cited customer relationship management (45 percent), time and expense tracking applications (44 percent) and enterprise resource planning (38 percent).

Despite perceptions that businesses are hesitant to embrace the consumerization of IT, Avanade’s global survey found companies areembracing the change and it is executives at the highest levels in the enterprise leading the charge. Key findings include:

• An overwhelming majority (88 percent) of respondents report employees are using their personal computing technologies for business purposes today
• The majority of C-level executives (65 percent) report the consumerization of IT is a top priority in their organization
• On average, companies are allocating 25 percent of their overall IT budgets to manage the consumerization of IT
• The majority of companies (60 percent) are now adapting their IT infrastructure to accommodate employee’s personal technologies

“Progressive CIOs and IT organizations have moved from gatekeepers of consumer technology to enablers of these innovative devices, applications and services to meet employee needs and demands,” said Hartman.

“The consumerization of IT provides companies with an opportunity to transform the role of IT from a function focused on mitigating risk into a strategic enabler that leverages the breadth of today’s powerful consumer technologies to drive business results.”

Southeast Venture Conference, February 29 – March 1, 2012 at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, VA – Where Smart Money Meets Smart People.
www.seventure.org

© 2012, TechJournal South. All rights reserved.

Tags: Avanade, BYOD policies, consumerization of IT, mobility of workforce