Mob (mobilocracy) rules when IT doesn’t have control

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011 Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor

If IT feels that they have less control over mobile devices, then the mobilocracy may be calling the shots.

Our recent Mobile Enterprise Report asked IT: Do you have more or less control over your employees’ choice of devices than you did a year ago?

41% felt that they had less control, and 21% felt that they had more. Here’s a look at how these groups compare in security policies, issues and strategies.

For companies in which IT had more/same amount of control, they are:

• Less likely to have changed their guidelines recently to be more accomodating to personal devices. Has IT decided and that’s that?
• More likely to not allow access from non-IT-managed devices
• More likely to audit their mobility strategy
• Slightly less likely to have a security issue
• IT is viewed slightly more as an enabler, less as an inhibitor
• More likely to have mobile security, mobile device liability and employee education in their mobility strategy

Now, if IT feels that they have less control over the employees’ choice of devices, then I think there might be cases of the “tail wagging the dog” or mob rules. Mobilocracy in this case.

This group has been much more likely to have changed their guidelines to accommodate personal devices and 23% more likely to make a provisioning exception for a “specialized member” (e.g. executive). Are the guidelines merely stating what’s already happening in the organization?

Interestingly, IT is seen less as an enabler and more as an inhibitor, although they say they have less control over the devices. These companies are slightly more likely to have security issues and less likely to have mobile security and policy enforcement in their mobility strategy. However, they provide more employee education.

Companies that have had a security issue? They are much more likely to believe that their companies need to update their data security, data access and password policies. I would recommend starting now, before the next new device is brought into the enterprise.

For more trends on IT control and security, you can download the report.

Tags: enterprise mobility, Mobile Control, Reports, Security