Cunning devices and entertaining content challenge the workplace

By Robbie O'Brien

October 5, 2006

The potential offered by broadband internet access at home represents an almost new form of home entertainment.  From downloading that film that you could never find in the HMV store to seeing the weather at your holiday destination in real time.  The means to while away the hours are endless.

For all organisations that provide their employees with internet access, the temptation to continue with home entertainment in the workplace is strong.  A typical approach by companies is to hope that common sense will prevail and that people will not abuse the company IT infrastructure.  Given that this is a ‘soft’ issue about technology, it can find itself falling between the "two stools" of the IT and the HR departments.  Apart from the serious security problems that arise from not having a high awareness of what is acceptable usage of company IT resources, the loss of productivity due to time wastage on computers is significant.

"The workplace has changed from what it was even six years ago" said Laura Duffy, Policy Consultant at Baronscourt Technology.  "Organisations are still coming to terms with new ways of working such as teleworking. The key to success is to constantly communicate with your staff as to what is expected from them and what are the boundaries for computer usage whist on company time".

Today's offices are full of employees' personal technology like iPods, mobile phones, Bluetooth headsets, and thumb drives.  This is in marked contrast to 10 years ago, when technology tended to travel from the office to the home — but not the other way.  This raises questions about whether the soft benefits of these new devices and services outweigh the increasingly complex security risks that "unsanctioned" technology poses.  Employers need to take a pragmatic approach with sensible usage policies combined with proactive network monitoring.  Getting employee buy-in is far more effective than confiscating mobile phones at the front door.

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