The link between consumerization of IT and the virtual company

In its latest Internet Security Report 2011, Cisco goes into great length explaining how new trends are threatening (or better: challenging) corporate IT. The report covers a wide range of topics, but the two that caught my attention most were the consumerization of IT and the virtualization of corporations.

About consumerization of IT: Cisco states some key facts about GenY's expectations on their working environment. Conclusion? It is unavoidable to let people use their personal devices and social media for professional purposes, and companies and (young) employees need to find a balance in order to secure company data while letting young employees be more efficient through their personal resources.

According to the report; the anytime, anywhere young worker:

• believes he should be allowed to access social media and personal websites from company-issued devices;
• checks Facebook pages at least once a day;
• doesn't believe he needs to be in the office on a regular basis;
• believes IT is ultimately responsible for security, not him;
• will violate policies if it's necessary to get the job done.

On corporate virtualization, I was struck by Cisco's chart showing the different stages in this trend, and the role both consumerization of IT and 'anything as a service' play in it. The drive towards virtualization looks inevitable if you look at it that way...:

Click here to access the full report.