by Rebecca Walker — December 14, 2009 About 10 percent of employees use personal notebooks as their primary work computer, creating a major headache for company IT staff, according to a survey from analyst firm Gartner.
The trend toward using personal computers at work is prompting many companies to crack down on people using any personal gadgetry that needs a PC or network connection at work, with nearly half banning employee-owned devices outright and 43 percent instituting specific policies regarding their use.
The type of job influences the chances that a personal notebook will be allowed for work use. Service companies, such as insurance and telecommunications companies are the most liberal but manufacturing, wholesale and government organizations tend to frown on the practice, says Gartner.
Despite the security implications, across all three surveyed countries, Gartner anticipates a growing number of employee-owned PCs in the next 12 to 18 months, thanks largely to the savings of between nine and 40 percent when compared with company-provided notebooks.
Companies seem to be starting to put steps in place to minimize the risks through the use of virtualized machines and tight policies.
For more information, see the Gartner Web site.
