Consumerization of IT - Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

The consumerization of IT is a recent trend that represents a shift from businesses as the primary drivers of productivity technologies, toward individual consumers and their personal computers, tablets and smart phones as having a more significant impact on workplace productivity. Prominent IT industry research groups such as Gartner have reported that mobile web device sales will reach 461.5 million in 2011, surpassing PC shipments, and in 2012 sales will reach an astonishing 645 million devices sold. This trend represents a new challenge for businesses as they scramble to formulate an effective mobile device management strategy that can be agile enough to evolve with the rapidly changing landscape of web based productivity applications and devices as well as the associated risk threat that these new devices/applications pose to sensitive business information.

Until recently large enterprises have maintained close ties with computer hardware vendors due to the large volume of products and services needed to provide their employees the tools to maintain productivity. This traditional model of IT being controlled within the organization allowed companies to dictate what type of device and what applications were most beneficial for the organization from a cost and productivity standpoint. BYOD and consumerization has shifted the paradigm in the opposite direction. Most employees who have embraced the functionality of mobile devices are doing so because it allows them to be more productive than the traditional hardware that is provided through enterprise companies. However, most businesses recognize that although productivity increases with the adoption of multiple devices for each user, there are associated risks such as security and regulatory compliance demands. Therefore businesses must be ready to embrace a multiple device management strategy that will evolve in relation to the rising tide of personal web devices.

Virsage WorkPlace utilizes Citrix technologies to allow businesses to embrace a BYOD environment without compromising the security and support services that they have today.  In contrast most small and medium sized businesses will experience an increase in security and reliability by moving into a top tier data center from their existing server closet or room. BYOD in conjunction with WorkPlace allows existing IT staff to adopt a more proactive approach toward enhancing their user’s computing environment, versus being reactive and constantly responding to maintenance issues, software updates, user hardware issues and regulatory concerns.