The “bring your own technology” (BYOT) trend is evidence of a climactic shift in technology’s discovery and adoption. Every day, employees use more of their own technology at work, including devices, services and applications, instead of employers being the first to establish new technology at the office.
Frost & Sullivan introduces a six-step strategy for dealing with the consumerization of IT in your organization:
1. Define the mobile workers and strong collaborators in your organization
2. Identify the consumer technology currently in use
3. Assess which tools have a business benefit
4. Determine what technology to upgrade or deploy
5. Evaluate where benefits and savings lay
6. Set policies and procedures for the use of consumer services and devices
“Historically, employees were introduced to new technology at the office, and adopted it at home only when its value to their personal lives became clear, and prices went down,” said Frost & Sullivan Enterprise Communications and Collaboration Research Vice President Melanie Turek. “Our research finds the tables are turning. And there’s a reason so many employees are using their personal smart phones and tablets, services and applications — they enable their own productivity, making it easier to stay in touch with colleagues and customers, and up-to-date on company news and information.”
“CIOs and technology leaders should take advantage of BYOT for many reasons, but the biggest is its impact on innovation,” concluded Turek. “As employees embrace mobility, collaboration and social media in particular, they are using these tools at work to share expertise, knowledge and data — in real time, with people within and outside the organization. This leads to better processes, faster outcomes, improved customer experiences, and new products and services — in a word, innovation.”