Consumerization of IT in the Enterprise Starting to Pay Off

Companies are beginning to reap ROI and productivity benefits from consumer technologies such as smartphones and tablets. As the trend grows, IT leaders are moving beyond first responder status to craft a long-term strategy for success.

Driven by widespread mobile device usage, the spread of consumerized technologies such as mobile devices appears poised to move from the mainstream to a transformative technology that will trigger widespread changes in how business users work.

According to a December 2013 survey of 1,155 IT decision-makers conducted by IDG Enterprise, workers are widely accessing applications via consumer devices such as smart phones and tablets, and companies have high expectations of this trend. (Editor’s note: IDG Enterprise is the publisher of this website.)

Nearly 50 percent expect mobile apps to increase employee productivity, through tactics such as the capability to allow employees access to work anytime anywhere (42 percent), or increased customer satisfaction (41 percent.)

Indeed, many are already seeing a payoff, as nearly 70 percent report that they have seen an ROI of some sort from using consumer devices in the workplace. Those results are driving increased spending, with almost half of the respondents planning to invest in tabletsand employee training to make the most of this technology. Forty-three percent will invest in smart phones, the third most commonly selected investment.

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