Businesses Learn to Love Consumer IT

Posted on Friday Jan 27th 2012 by Dennis McCafferty. Filed under: IT Management

Managers and IT folks freaked out when workers started bringing their smartphones and tablets to work. Now? Not so much, according to a survey from Avanade. See also 10 Ways IT Deals With Consumer Technology. Users expect organizations to green-light and even support the use of personal devices, and many shops are happy to oblige. "Progressive CIOs and IT organizations have moved from gatekeepers of consumer technology to enablers of these innovative devices, applications and services," says Tyson Hartman, Avanade's global chief technology officer. "The consumerization of IT can 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." More than 600 global C-Suite level execs, IT decision makers and business-unit leaders took part in the research. For more about the survey, click here.

  • 1. Personal Preference88% of executives say their employees freely use their own personal tech devices for business purposes.

    1. Personal Preference88% of executives say their employees freely use their own personal tech devices for business purposes., IT Management

  • 2. IT Makeovers60% of organizations are adapting their IT infrastructure to suit workers' personal devices.

    2. IT Makeovers60% of organizations are adapting their IT infrastructure to suit workers' personal devices., IT Management

  • 3. Make It Happen73% of C-Suite execs say the consumerization of IT is a top priority in their organization.

    3. Make It Happen73% of C-Suite execs say the consumerization of IT is a top priority in their organization., IT Management

  • 4. Aiming to Please91% of C-Suiters say their IT department now has the staff and resources needed to manage staff use of personal tech.

    4. Aiming to Please91% of C-Suiters say their IT department now has the staff and resources needed to manage staff use of personal tech., IT Management

  • 5. Not Rocket Science84% of these leaders indicate that it's simple to integrate personal devices/apps/online services into the enterprise system.

    5. Not Rocket Science84% of these leaders indicate that it's simple to integrate personal devices/apps/online services into the enterprise system., IT Management

  • 6. Flex Spending25% is the average amount of overall IT budgets now allocated to manage the consumerization of IT.

    6. Flex Spending25% is the average amount of overall IT budgets now allocated to manage the consumerization of IT., IT Management

  • 7. Budget ItemNearly 80% of top decision-makers say they plan to make new investments within the next 12 months to support personal computing technologies at work.

    7. Budget ItemNearly 80% of top decision-makers say they plan to make new investments within the next 12 months to support personal computing technologies at work., IT Management

  • 8. PS3 Break, Anyone?32% of business leaders have changed company policies to make the office more appealing to younger employees.

    8. PS3 Break, Anyone?32% of business leaders have changed company policies to make the office more appealing to younger employees., IT Management

  • 9. Retaining Assets20% of top decision-makers feel that allowing personal computing technologies in the enterprise will benefit recruitment/retention.

    9. Retaining Assets20% of top decision-makers feel that allowing personal computing technologies in the enterprise will benefit recruitment/retention., IT Management

  • 10. Biggest Benefits of IT Consumerization on the Enterprise:Employee productivity (cited by 50% of C-suite execs)Employee satisfaction (47%)Employee access to services/information (46%)Customer service (37%)Internal collaboration (33%)

    10. Biggest Benefits of IT Consumerization on the Enterprise:Employee productivity (cited by 50% of C-suite execs)Employee satisfaction (47%)Employee access to services/information (46%)Customer service (37%)Internal collaboration (33%), IT Management