IT Management Slideshow:
Consumerization of IT: Perception Vs. Reality

They’re emailing, texting, status-updating and Tweeting while going on vacation, driving in cars, relaxing in bed—and even attending religious services! They're buying their own technology for use at work, and increasingly blurring the lines between personal devices and work-focused tools. And they’re happy to take the initiative to use social media to reach customers—in far greater numbers than their employers realize. They are the modern-day “iWorkers,” 21st Century employees who are driven, tech-savvy and seemingly never disconnected. You may recognize these behaviors among your own IT department staff. But, it’s clear that a growing number of workers are adopting these behaviors regardless of the department in which they work, according to a recent survey conducted by IDC for Unisys. You'll want to stay on top of these trends, as the survey reveals a clear disconnect between CIO perception and reality when it comes to what the level of tech-related activity among iWorkers. Ultimately, such disconnect could impact enterprise operations. “While IT executives are now realizing and accepting that the consumerization of IT is happening,” says Nick Evans, vice president of strategic innovation for Unisys, “they actually appear overwhelmed by the movement and aren’t taking the necessary, proactive steps to ready their organizations and applications for the iWorker era.” Nearly 2,660 iWorkers worldwide and more than 560 IT managers at large enterprises with more than 500 employees were polled in the survey. Here are selected highlights: