Why IT Needs To Change for Gen Z

An anonymous reader writes "Staff will routinely be bringing their own devices to work in five years time, according to IT industry experts in the UK. Some companies might already allow a few iPhones and iPads, but CIOs and businesses are not only going to have to support a general influx of consumer kits — they're going to need to get a whole lot more relaxed in general. 'Big businesses are going to have to become more flexible about how IT is provisioned and managed — to enable a new generation of workers who use consumer technologies to communicate and be productive.'"

Comments

Not where I work...

[Frosty Piss]

Staff will routinely be bringing their own devices to work in five years time, according to IT industry experts in the UK

Not where I work. Seriously, a *LOT* would have to change - like a move away from Windows networks, and that's not going to happen (sorry).

Re:Not where I work...

[Tarlus]

A [insert OS here] computer managed by competent IT staff is likely to be far more secure than an an unmanaged [insert same OS here] computer brought in from the outside.

Yes, even Windows.

Re:Not where I work...

[klubar]

I second this thought. Remember, that's why they call it work. If employees want to update their facebook status, chat with friends, shop or goof off, I believe that's what they call leisure.

Re:Not where I work...

[thenetbear]

I'd assume the same way most companies retain employees: through the regular disbursement of paychecks and employees who fear the loss of said. Most companies see a "talented" employee as one who performs adequately and follows the rules.

Right! Who is responsible for security?

[khasim]

It SHOULD come down to a simple business decision.

Is the advantage of adding those devices going to bring in more revenue than the extra effort and lost/compromised data is going to cost?

Re:Right! Who is responsible for security?

[speculatrix]

I agree, but it's not just the revenues and cost, it's as much about securing the safety of the business's data (and their customers), and demonstrating a duty of care in the handling of that data. In some case there may be a legal requirement effectively preventing ANY use of the corporate network by the invididual.

Computers provided by the employer should be seen as tools for the job, owned and operated by the employer solely for the benefit of the employer's business.

If that laptop computer is owned by the business, the business can:

• deny the user admin rights
• install only the required applications and deny unnecessary applications (e.g. flash plugins, itunes etc)
• set up whole disk encryption
• install an anti-virus toolkit and ensure it is up to date
• enforce the use of VPNs and proxies for any internet access
• confiscation of the computer for any reason, such at the moment of job termination

Many of the above actions are difficult or impossible if the employee uses their own laptop... unless the laptop is simply a thin client, but even then a key logger would be a security risk.

There is already a big problem with people storing confidential information on laptop computers which leave the workplace. How this can be controlled if staff use their own?

Why Gen Z Needs To Change for Work

[Bloodwine77]

Sorry, no matter what the generation, they should not be allowed to bring more attack vectors and security vulnerabilities in to the workplace.

They are not special snowflakes, and their personal devices are not necessary for productivity.

Businesses where mobile devices are useful and helpful should already have their infrastructures designed to handle it, so again Gen Z will make no difference.

Re:Why Gen Z Needs To Change for Work

[St.Creed]

So your CEO walks in with his new iPhone and wants to access his mobile reporting solution. The one containing all his sales information. You're telling him he can't?
And if the CEO has it, his underlings will have it a few weeks later. They still outrank you. You're going to tell them they can't have it? And when all the managers have it, how long will it be before EVERYONE has access?

Seriously: start preparing, because the tidal wave is coming. It is already happening. 17% of companies now have a "bring-your-own-device" policy in place (a quote from 2 weeks ago by Claudia Imhoff, she spoke at a BI-event I was at). Some provide a choice: company laptop with maintenance or your own device but you do the maintenance. This will grow rapidly.

Philips was migrating to this policy about 5 years ago. Big companies I'm working for are already preparing for that transition. The ones who are not, will find it very hard to satisfy their interal customers. They will also find retainment of new workers a big problem.

Ofcourse this is difficult: it is most difficult for those companies that still have software in place with dedicated clientsoftware, beyond MS Office. Companies (like a few where I worked) that started moving away from that and to webbased apps, are in good position to actually profit from this move.

Re:Why Gen Z Needs To Change for Work

[fyonn]

yeah, I've heard this thing several times over the last year. all these "innovators" talking about how the next generation of "digital natives" will need to work on their ipads while posting everything on facebook and twitter, but I just don't get it. Why? I don't think the average work environment is so short of people as to be that desperate.

In fact, my place is in the middle of cutting costs by 40%, so why would they then bend over backwards massively changing internal policy and introducing risk to attract inexperienced, self entitled oiks who by their own admission, want to spend most of the day on facebook rather than actually doing any work?

Thing is, the company is the one paying the bills, and taking the risks. Where is the business advantage to most businesses to do this? I admit that some more specialised industries that regularly take high skilled graduates may want to do this, but for most industries, i don't see what they'll get out of it?

dave

Re:Why Gen Z Needs To Change for Work

[PC and Sony Fanboy]

Sorry, no matter what the generation, they should not be allowed to bring more attack vectors and security vulnerabilities in to the workplace.

They are not special snowflakes, and their personal devices are not necessary for productivity.

Businesses where mobile devices are useful and helpful should already have their infrastructures designed to handle it, so again Gen Z will make no difference.

Sure, you tell the salesman who brings in 150k of business a week for your company that he can't use his new toys to keep track of his contacts. He talks to his boss about the fat guy in IT that drains company resources by depriving him of valuable tools. And then reminds his boss that he makes all the sales that actually pay for IT to exist.

See how long it takes to change policy. Unless you're in non-profit or government, the folks making the money are the folks calling the shots.

Re:Why Gen Z Needs To Change for Work

[Gonoff]

You're telling him he can't?

Absolutely! Recently,my manager was on holiday and our director walks into the room with a small Android phone and said "Can you connect the new chairmans smartphone to the hospital network?" It was not a request.

I was able to go up and say "No" without any qualms. I think the lady on the HelpDesk might not have felt so free to do this. I have previously given similar replies to new directors, doctors and (medical) consultants. It requires me to be able to quote the official policies. That is part of my job.

No, I am not a manager. I do not wear a suit to work. I do not even wear a tie. I am the guy who fixes things. Telling people that they cannot connect their own iphone, netbook, fondleslab or USB toy to a corporate network is basic security. If you have no confidential data to look after perhaps the thought of virus, trojan or spyware ridden systems connecting up to your network does not worry you. If 17% of companies have nothing they need to protect, that is up to them.

A couple of things there.

[khasim]

The ones who are not, will find it very hard to satisfy their interal customers.

There aren't any "internal customers" because the concept of "customer" contains the element of "choice". If you don't like the service, you go to a different vendor. Internal departments do NOT have that option.

They will also find retainment of new workers a big problem.

The implication being that those "new workers" will be worth the additional considerations. I'm sure you can find enough skilled workers who do not demand that you support their personal electronics.

Seriously: start preparing, because the tidal wave is coming. It is already happening.

As can be said with most fads and bubbles. The question isn't whether it will be happening but whether it will be a new requirement. Or will it happen and then fade as the security issues become evident?

Companies (like a few where I worked) that started moving away from that and to webbased apps, are in good position to actually profit from this move.

Who cares about the software? It's the data that is important?

Ofcourse this is difficult: it is most difficult for those companies that still have software in place with dedicated clientsoftware, beyond MS Office.

It's about the data, not the software.

Losing credit card info is a problem.

Getting Excel running on your phone is not an issue.

So your CEO walks in with his new iPhone and wants to access his mobile reporting solution. The one containing all his sales information. You're telling him he can't?

That depends upon the situation. Do you have read-only access via a secured web site?

What does he REALLY want to accomplish?

He is the CEO. But that just means that he is the CEO.
You can always find a new job.
It's easier to find a new job while you're still working.
Rather than AFTER you're fired because the company hits the papers for losing credit card info because of how you put a hole into your security for the CEO.
And you know that it will be YOU who is fired first and blamed for not keeping the place secure enough.

Re:Depends

[Osgeld]

Agreed, it became a issue at my workplace with the guys on the warehouse floor, they are moving large heavy objects while operating forklifts while constantly texting. You cant get their attention cause its also jacked into their ears for MP3, and if you ask them a question they cant tell you what they did 5 seconds ago cause they are totally unfocused on their 1 simple task.

Starting Monday if we see a celphone on the floor your gone, period.

unsurprisingly, administrivia goons don't get it.

[petes_PoV]

Riiiight - just like the quality control guys are a cost centre, and the safety standards people, too.

IT people are the guys who keep the baddies out of the COMPANY network, the one that you want to connect all your little toys to. They're the ones who are charged with producing the most stuff from the least money, which requires common standards so they don't have to spend hours or days trying to work out why some manager didn't/couldn't read the 1-page of instructions with his/her latest trinket and set it up wrong.

The point is, we all work for the shareholders and they don't care if you want to use your latest little phone to access stuff. They want the lowest cost of operation, the fewest number of lawsuits for data loss and data thefts and they don't want different individuals craching their company on a daily basis just so they can show off some new status symbol.