Ten Ways IT Deals With Consumer Technology

The consumerization of corporate Information Technology is an established fact, with enterprise tech usage now influenced heavily by consumer trends. See also: How Big Companies Are Adjusting to Consumerization. A March 2011 Unisys study found that 95 percent of workers use their own technology at work, with employees relying on an average of four consumer devices and multiple third-party applications during the course of a day. Smartphones, tablets and apps have forever changed the way business and IT operate—and there’s greater pressure to not only provide mobile tools but to accelerate software development cycles and provide richer and more “app-like” tools on the desktop. This challenge isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. In fact, as younger workers—who demand consumer devices and are more comfortable using them—play a more prominent role in the workplace, the pressure on IT to deliver consumer-friendly tools and services will grow. Here’s what you need to know to address consumerization and turn it into a strategic advantage.