MISSISSAUGA – 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, according to a IDC survey commissioned by Samsung Electronics Canada.
Of the CIOs surveyed, 58% said the number of mobile workers at their company has increased, and that 68% of these workers use tablets in addition to mobile phones. Some 52.5% of CIOs say they’re open to employees bringing their own devices to work, with 50.8% saying it was to appeal to young workers which will make up 75% of the workforce by 2028.
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%) and IT security (70%) were at the top of that list. Metrics and measurement are also areas that have potential for growth with 43% 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% say they will soon which speaks to the direction the ever-evolving role of the CIO may go next.
"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, SVP enterprise and mobile solutions for Samsung Electronics Canada, in the news release. "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."
KNOX is currently supported by a range of Samsung mobility products including the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy NotePRO 12.2.
The telephone survey of 120 major Canadian organizations was completed during February 2014 by IDC Canada and represents a cross-section of the Canadian private and public sectors from business services, financial services, retail, communications and media, transportation and warehousing and utilities, to government, healthcare, and education. The survey was designed to obtain an illustration of major Canadian organizations' attitudes and behaviour within the mobility area. Survey respondents were composed of CIO or CIO equivalent IT-decision makers.
