Consumerisation of IT has changed the world in which CIOs and IT managers operate, says RIM’s Alexandra Zagury.
“Consumerisation of IT – the trend of end-users bringing their own technologies to work – has changed the world in which CIOs and IT managers operate. Today, they are not as able to dictate platforms and standards to their mobile users as they were five years ago.”
This is the outlook of Alexandra Zagury, Research In Motion’s (RIM) new MD for SA and southern Africa. Zagury says, despite this powerlessness that has arisen from the proliferation of mobile technology, IT authorities are still expected to ensure that users are productive and that information is secure on devices – often controlled by employees, rather than the enterprise.
The BlackBerry-maker’s MD puts forward some factors that she believes IT managers should be thinking about as they roll out mobile strategies and choose their core platforms:
Multiple platforms
Consumerisation means IT departments are faced with the challenge of centrally managing several mobile platforms simultaneously.
In light of this, says Zagury, IT managers should be looking for cross-platform mobile device management (MDM) solutions to ensure their mobile employees can be productive, without compromising enterprise governance and information security. “A good MDM solution will offer a single console to manage and control all devices.”
With 18% of the smartphone market share in SA, BlackBerry remains one of the main platforms in use, both for personal and professional purposes. Zagury says, in terms of MDM for RIM’s devices, the new BlackBerry Mobile Fusion solution is an option.
“[It] brings together the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (version 5.0.3) for BlackBerry smartphones, new management capabilities for BlackBerry PlayBook tablets built on BlackBerry Enterprise Server technology, and mobile device management for smartphones and tablets running Google Android and Apple iOS operating systems.”
Certain separation
In terms of separating the professional from the personal, Zagury says a “major headache” for CIOs and IT managers is preventing the accidental leakage of data from smartphones and tablet computers when employees use these devices in both their personal and professional lives.
She says RIM is helping managers address this with tools such as BlackBerry Balance technology, which enables businesses to protect their assets, while letting employees install their favourite applications.
“BlackBerry Balance is designed to separate corporate and personal data within the operating system of BlackBerry smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. This ensures, for example, that a user can’t copy and paste data from a work app into a personal app. This prevents accidental or deliberate sharing of company data through the user’s personal e-mail or social media accounts.”
Securing information assets
Mobile devices can be easily lost or stolen, notes Zagury. She says companies need to take steps to secure data stored on the devices and prevent unauthorised users from accessing corporate networks.
“Companies need to look for end-to-end solutions, from on-device features to centralised management of end-user handsets and tablets.”
Some features to look for, suggests Zagury, include the ability to protect corporate data stored on devices using strong encryption methods, IT controls to remotely lock, wipe or de-register devices in the event that they are lost or stolen, and the ability to wirelessly adjust security levels up or down or implement new policies without needing to touch the devices.
BYOD bane
Known in enterprise as “the BYOD trend” (bring your own device), consumerisation and multiple and personal computing devices is a topic that has caused concern in terms of bandwidth cost and security.
The trends and challenges of BYOD were assessed at the iPad in Enterprise Executive Forum, earlier this month, where it was established that an effective BYOD strategy can result in tighter security, lower IT costs, and a happier and more productive workforce – according to Citrix SA.
Sean Wainer, Citrix SA’s country manager, cited a recent Citrix survey on mobility in enterprise, which found that 42% of people use three to four computing devices daily, while 16% use four or more, and 6% use five or more.
The survey also found that mobility is a reality in the modern enterprise: 53% of those polled work outside the office one or two days a week, and virtually all of those polled work outside the office sometimes.
