IT managers struggling to combat consumer technology

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IT managers’ headaches are getting worse as they struggle to meet the demands of an increasingly consumer-driven tech estate.

So claims research by Quest Software, which surveyed some 200 UK-based enterprise IT managers to discover that the likes of MP3 players and instant messenger (IM) applications are causing added stress for the IT department.

Some 70 per cent of those surveyed cited the increasing proliferation of consumer-oriented tech in the workplace as a key factor in the creation of complex business challenges.

But, despite this angst, around half of IT managers either continue to let employees store company data on personal storage devices like USB sticks or smartphones or simply don’t have formal policies in place.

“Think about how daily working life is changing. Public and corporate IM applications are on nearly every desktop; VoIP is evolving from consumer offerings such as Skype into enterprise-grade variants; audio/video conferencing technologies continue to mature; and increasing numbers of employees are using their personal mobile devices, MP3 players and USB keys to store company data,” said Joe Baguley, Quest Software’s European chief technology officer.

“Given these trends, it’s hardly surprising that enterprise IT teams are feeling pressure to manage the security threats posed by these so-called ‘consumer’ technologies entering the workplace.”

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