BYOD is Only Beginning

The "bring your own device" trend -- or "consumerization of IT," whichever phrase you prefer -- will soon become the norm in workplaces around the globe. Already, many workers (especially those in IT) are dissatisfied with the technology their employers give them and want to use their personal devices for work as well.

[Preparing Your Bank for BYOD]

And according to data from Forrester Research, they're willing to pay for it as well. Analyst David Johnson blogs that those who spent their own money on technology last year to do their jobs spent an average of $1252.60 on hardware, and another $556.90 on software.

Johnson reports that 42 percent of those people indicated that the money was spent on something they use in their personal lives that they wanted to use for work. Another 27 percent said their own equipment is better than what their company provides. Interestingly, 48 percent of those people indicated that their firms would either not approve, or make them stop using their own technology.

It's telling that almost half of these employees who spent their own money to upgrade or replace work-related technology felt their employer would not approve. Obviously there are data risks, and financial institutions are more sensitive to that threat than most, but this is a trend employers must accommodate if they are to recruit and keep quality employees. If a worker isn't allowed to use the technology of his choice on the job, there are an increasing number of employers who will let him do so.

Securing personal devices can be a strain on IT, and require some cost upfront, but ultimately will be worthwhile. For more on the BYOD trend, and how consumerization is affecting banking in general, check out the upcoming May issue of Bank Systems & Technology.

Bryan Yurcan is associate editor for Bank Systems and Technology. He has worked in various editorial capacities for newspapers and magazines for the past 8 years. After beginning his career as a municipal and courts reporter for daily newspapers in upstate New York, Bryan has ... View Full Bio