The consumerisation of IT is the growing trend for information technology to emerge first in the consumer market and then drive change in the industry generally. One of the most dramatic impacts of this shift is a rise in so-called “bring your own device” strategies in both public and private enterprises.

In the past, the functionality of your work computer and phone tended to be streets ahead of what you used at home. Remember the days when employees would show off their work PDAs, smartphones and laptops as perks of their job? These days, increasing numbers of employees have better access to technology at home than they do at work, with personal devices and apps that are user friendly and convenient in ways that their work equipment and systems are not. Employees also wish to work differently (working remotely, outside regular hours, on the weekend, on vacation, etc. are becoming the norm) and users want their business tools to enable this change. Employees also want to limit their need to carry and manage multiple devices. The answer? Bring your own device to work.