Choosing one's device at work

Throughout the information age, corporate information technology (IT) departments have stood at the chokepoint of office technology, with a firm hand on what equipment and software employees use in the workplace.

They are now in retreat. Employees are bringing in the technology they use at home and demanding IT departments accommodate them. The IT department often complies.

Some companies have even surrendered to what is being called the consumerisation of IT. At Kraft Foods, the IT department’s involvement in choosing technology for employees is limited to handing out a stipend. Employees use the money to buy whatever laptop they want from Best Buy, Amazon.com or the local Apple store.

“We heard from people saying, ‘How come I have better equipment at home?’ ” said Mike Cunningham, chief technology officer for Kraft Foods. “We said, hey, we can address that.”

Encouraging employees to buy their own laptops, or bring their mobile phones and iPads from home, is gaining traction in the workplace. A survey published on Thursday by Forrester Research found 48 per cent of information workers buy smartphones for work, without considering what their IT department supports. By being more flexible, companies are hoping workers would be more comfortable with their devices and, therefore, more productive.

©2011 The New York
Times News Service