Enterasys Consumerization of IT Survey Shows Consumer Devices in the Workplace Drive Up IT Anxiety

LAS VEGAS, May 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Interop -- Enterasys Networks, a Siemens Enterprise Communications Company, today announced the results of its "Consumerization of IT" Interop survey, which provides insight on the attitudes of Interop Las Vegas 2011 attendees with regard to personal PCs and devices connecting to the corporate network. Survey results indicate that respondents are concerned about personal devices connecting to the corporate network, and have even experienced recent security breaches. Interestingly, many admit to violating their own policies and suspect their own employees and executives of violating policies.

Survey respondents also ranked Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs to be a significant employee benefit, with attendees reporting these programs are as important as benefits such as teleworking, flexible spending accounts, and maternity, paternity and adoption leave. Furthermore, respondents were conflicted about whether allowing employees to use personal devices on the corporate network encourages or decreases employee productivity.  

"These survey results are additional proof that IT is struggling to strike a balance between enabling productivity by allowing an ever-growing list of new devices, and maintaining appropriate levels of compliance and security," said Ram Appalaraju, vice president of marketing at Enterasys Networks. "The younger generation in today's workforce is accustomed to interacting with IT in a unique way, and contrary to traditional concerns over productivity, these employees often use personal devices and applications as important tools to further the organization's goals. IT needs to leverage technology to gain visibility, confidence and control of the market reality of device proliferation at present and in the future."  

IT Concerns, Policies and Protection

Seventy percent of IT respondents are somewhat or absolutely concerned with personal mobile devices (such as iPads, iPhones, and Android devices) connecting to the corporate network. And while 84 percent of respondents indicate their corporate network is protected from devices that are unpatched or poorly managed, 35 percent admit to violating their own corporate policy and 78 percent use personal devices for business-related purposes or use corporate devices to connect to personal applications.  Furthermore, one-third of respondents do not have a policy on the use of corporate devices for personal purposes and nearly half (46 percent) do not have a policy around the use of social networking applications.  

Respondents also report suspicion that other employees are potential policy violators, estimating that 42 percent of employees and 50 percent of executives use personal devices for business-related purposes or use corporate devices to connect to personal applications. Security breaches are still commonplace, with respondents averaging slightly more than one security breach over the past 12 months.  

Employee Perks and Productivity

Survey respondents were conflicted about whether allowing employees to use their own devices improves or decreases productivity. Sixty-three percent of respondents were worried about decreased employee productivity, yet 62 percent noted that improved employee productivity is a somewhat or very influential factor in allowing employees to use their own devices.

Overall, improved employee productivity is the most influential factor in allowing employees to use their own devices (62 percent indicate this is somewhat or very influential); followed by cost savings (51 percent); and employee demand and satisfaction (35 percent).

Enterasys Resources on the Consumerization of IT:  

Enterasys blog: Interop Survey: The Consumerization of IT
Enterasys blog: Point: I got an iPad for Christmas, now where can I get it on the network?
Enterasys blog: Counterpoint: Another approach to supporting iPads on the corporate network
Enterasys "Bring Your Own Device" solution brief

About the Survey

An onsite survey conducted by Applied Research West at Interop Las Vegas 2011 provided insight into IT managers' attitudes, concerns and challenges regarding the consumerization of IT. The survey included responses from 100 U.S. IT professionals in small, medium, and large enterprises and a variety of vertical industries attending the Interop show.  

About Enterasys Networks and Siemens Enterprise Communications

Siemens Enterprise Communications is a premier provider of end-to-end enterprise communications, including voice, network infrastructure and security solutions that use open, standards-based unified communications and business applications for a seamless collaboration experience. This award-winning "Open Communications" approach enables organizations to improve productivity and reduce costs through easy-to-deploy solutions that work within existing IT environments, delivering operational efficiencies. It is the foundation for the company's OpenPath® commitment that enables customers to mitigate risk and cost-effectively adopt unified communications. Jointly owned by The Gores Group and Siemens AG, Siemens Enterprise Communications includes Cycos and Enterasys Networks. For more information about Siemens Enterprise Communications or Enterasys please visit www.siemens-enterprise.com or www.enterasys.com.

SOURCE Enterasys Networks