“Microsoft Technology allows us to manage all of the devices and capabilities that people have in their life—whether it’s at home or at work—and also manage the intersection of the two.”

—Tony Scott, Microsoft CIO

When consumers collide with the workplace

Consumer technology is turning the workplace on its head. And as consumers bring their technology to work, they’re pushing for new ways to work that align with how they use social, mobile, and digital tools in their day-to-day lives. While the consumerization of IT has remarkable potential for improving collaboration and productivity, many companies are grappling with the enormous security risks of introducing consumer technologies in the face of increasingly porous borders. Consider the numbers.

• 11 percent of information workers use social networks for work. (Forrester, October 2009)
• One-third of U.S. information workers use a personal mobile phone for work. (Forrester, October 2009)
• 45 percent of millennials worldwide say they use social networking Web sites at work, regardless of whether their organization or company prohibits their use. (Accenture, January 2010)

Tomorrow’s consumer enterprise

Moving forward, IT should take the lead and choose a unified platform that provides the excitement and engagement of consumer technology with the added protection of enterprise-grade security. Organizations should address the consumerization of IT in a way that sparks creativity, encourages collaboration, and promotes innovation—all within the secure walls of an IT ecosystem that safeguards enterprise resources.

“Microsoft Technology allows us to manage all of the devices and capabilities that people have in their life—whether it’s at home or at work—and also manage the intersection of the two.”
—Tony Scott, Microsoft CIO