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How To Thwart the High Priests In IT
GMGruman writes "You know the type: They want to control and restrict any technology in your office, maybe for job security, maybe as a power trip. As the 'consumerization of IT' phenomenon grows, such IT people are increasingly clashing with users, who bring in their own smartphones, use cloud apps, and work at home on their own equipment. These 'enemies' in IT are easy to identify, but there are subtler enemies within IT that also aim to prevent users from being self-sufficient in their technology use. That's bad for both users and IT, as it gets in the way of useful work for everyone. Here's what to look for in such hidden IT 'enemies,' and how to thwart their efforts to contain you."
^ This. The IT dept's worst nightmare are employees who *think* they know better.
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I certainly understand that users want to use what is easy for them but they need to understand that they don't set policy. I listen to any reasonable requests and if they fit within our policy (or if it makes sense to change the policy to allow it) I will authorize their request. However, understand that I have been working in IT for over 20 years and know a thing or two that you probably don't. Its not a power trip, its my job, it is what they pay me to do. Employees need to understand that its not personal. If their request was denied I had a very good reason to do so. Get over it, move along.
Seriously? We don't want uncontrolled portable devices on our networks because we don't control them. We can't force-install AV software (if it even exists for your favorite no-name phone/player/tablet/whatever), we can't even do basic cleanup of them without your cooperation.
And that only describes them as a potential vector for attack. We also can't control who else has access to them, can't wipe remotely without your permission, can't keep you from leaving it, complete with the latest super-secret corporate strategy on it, in the bar at a random trade show.
Dislike of portables has nothing to do with controlling you, and everything to do with controlling and protecting what the company pays us to - Their IT infrastructure and digital IP.
Actually it's the job of IT to support the employees who are designing the products that bring in the revenue.
Right and wrong. IT's job is more than just facilitating the ability for engineers to do their job (not all companies even have engineers). It's about corporate security, regulatory compliance, and SLA compliance.
A good IT department will make compromises between all of these things. The business needs to be flexible enough to allow engineers, salesmen, etc. to be agile so as to be competitive in the market, but not to the point of anarchy where an untested/uncertified smartphone gets lost and results in sensitive data going into the wrong hands due to the lack of remote management of said devices, resulting in regulatory fines or competitive disadvantage. Similarly, any sane IT department is going to have a supported platforms/devices list. You cannot provide an SLA to the business on a device you've never seen and done any interop testing with.
Sorry, it's obvious you don't understand the challenges of a real business.
Except when your uber-important report or presentation or project or whatever is lost and when your laptop goes belly-up and you want to waste IT's time to try and recover it.
Yeah, the problem is these folks want all the freedom and none of the responsibility for maintaining their own gear.
How about when there is a lawsuit and all emails, IMs, etc., must be collected? Do you really want your personal laptop being inventoried for all of this? I think not. There is a good reason for a line between business and personal.
...but I stopped counting how many times the author recommended trying to cost people their jobs for actually doing them after the third time. I'd like to offer something more insightful in response, but I'm afraid I'm left with "What a smug asshole."
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