Research shows corporate briefcases are bulging with multiple smartphones, tablets and laptops where only a few years ago, IT forecasters were predicting convergence into singular devices.
Researchers from the University of Sydney Business School and the Australian Graduate School of Management found that, in contrast to trends apparent at the study’s outset in 2006, by 2012 all surveyed executives carried two phones, with most also carrying other devices.
Dr Kristine Dery of Sydney University attributed this to corporate security firewalls reducing the capabilities of company-issued smartphones, leading many executives to purchase multiple devices to organise communication between work and non-work.
Dr Dery found that “the inconvenience of multiple devices is often offset by the much sought-after degree of separation between work and home life.”
However, downsides include additional security issues for corporate IT divisions and additional complexity in the ongoing pursuit of standardisation and connectivity.
The trend leads Dr Dery to postulate a future work environment in which “all technology is privately owned, where business professionals supply their own tools of trade, and IT departments will have to change their focus and skills accordingly.”
Read more at University of Sydney