What Does Consumerization of IT Mean?
The consumerization of IT refers to a trend in which a business’s employees expect to be able to use personal devices to connect to corporate networks. The consumerization of IT has grown out of consumers’ increasing integration with their personal mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, which are now depended upon as personal – and personalized – assistants. As a result, many employees are demanding that their employers allow them to use devices they’ve chosen and are comfortable using. This move affects corporate IT departments, which much set up policies, platforms and security measures to ensure the security of corporate data over a larger number of different types of devices.
Techopedia Explains Consumerization of IT
The consumerization of IT has led to a phenomenon called bring your technology (BYOT), or bring your own device (BYOD), in which companies allow employees to access corporate systems using their own personal devices. The consumerization of IT reflects a larger shift in corporate philosophy, where companies traditionally maintained full control over their employees in terms of policies, benefits and behavior. In recent years, companies have allowed more flexible work arrangements and turned the management of retirement plans, for example, over to employees. BYOT is part of this shift as well, as employees demand and are granted the ability to work with devices of their choosing.
But while employees generally support BYOT, it poses some major challenges for a company’s IT department, in terms of manageability and security.
