Social, Mobile, Analytics, and Cloud (SMAC) have created an “always on” and “always connected” environment for enterprise. In an age of daily data breaches, businesses are more apt to put stringent guidelines in place, and the desire to limit or ban employee use of personal devices for work may be strong, albeit unrealistic. Even with the rules firmly in place, consumer tools are bleeding into our organizations. More often than not, employees are using consumer tools, not because they intend to leak valuable company information, but simply because they are familiar and simple to use.
Today’s workforce is experiencing a shift where work can be done at any time, and from anywhere. Remote work opportunities are more common, and employees who find themselves traveling, or working from the home office, are still able to be productive thanks to cloud solutions and mobile connectivity. Shadow IT, the practice of using technology tools, applications, and software without the knowledge or approval of the IT Department, leads to more and more consumer grade tools weaving their way into the fabric of our business world — whether we want them there or not.
