A recent IDC survey commissioned by Samsung Electronics Canada1 found that technology trends such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), which reflect the growing use of personal tablets and smartphones in the workplace, is driving change for the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and businesses across Canada. Of the CIOs surveyed, 58 per cent said the number of mobile workers at their company has increased and that 68 per cent of these workers use tablets in addition to mobile phones.
BYOD is quickly becoming the new norm for companies across Canada with 52.5 per cent of CIOs open to employees bringing their own devices to work. When asked why CIOs have a bring their own device policy, 50.8 per cent responded saying it was to appeal to young workers which will make up 75 per cent of the workforce by 2028. While security still remains a core component, CIOs are being driven by workplace trends to help future-proof their organization.
"Part of the CIO's role is to anticipate trends in technology and understand how they influence corporate policy while maintaining security and aligning with the strategic vision of the company," said Warren Shiau, Director, Buyer Behaviour Research Practice, IDC Canada. "The CIO role is shifting from a concentrated focus on managing and protecting centralized back office IT resources to driving employee productivity and empowerment."
The survey also reflects a shift in attitude by CIOs who have traditionally acted independently to implement IT regulations. The survey reveals that fifty-five per cent of CIOs are actually adjusting their IT policies based on employee feedback and beginning to recognize the value of these insights in helping to create a more empowered workforce.
When asked about their biggest IT priorities for 2014, CIOs responded by saying that improving staff productivity (60 per cent) and IT security (70 per cent) were at the top of that list. Specifically, 96 per cent of respondents that support BYOD said that security is important which is why CIOs are turning to Samsung KNOX, a secure mobile enterprise security platform for Android, to create a protected IT environment.
"At Samsung, we are deeply committed to 'people-inspired innovation' and we listen to our customers – both consumers and enterprises – and innovate to address their issues," said Paul Brannen, Senior Vice-President, Enterprise and Mobile Solutions, Samsung Electronics Canada. "As the first commercially available, secure Android platform for mobile enterprise, Samsung KNOX gives CIOs peace of mind by allowing their employees to easily and securely switch between work and play on their devices with the press of a button."
While security remains a top priority for CIOs, metrics and measurement are areas that have potential for growth with 43 per cent of respondents saying that measuring mobile security effectiveness is not an exact science and hard metrics aren't being utilized. Fifty-two per cent of CIOs surveyed don't currently measure security effectiveness although 52 per cent say they will soon which speaks to the direction the ever-evolving role of the CIO may go next.
