Bring Your Own PC

As consumers have rushed to buy the latest and flashiest electronic devices, more conservative technology spending by corporations has triggered a debate in information technology circles that would have unthinkable only a few years ago. The question is this: Should companies allow increasingly mobile and tech-savvy workers to use their own smart phones and laptops in the workplace, rather than requiring them to use company-owned hardware and software, which often lags behind on the evolutionary scale?

This movement, dubbed BYOPC (bring your own personal computer), has been embraced by a handful of leading-edge technology companies such as Citrix and Google as well as producers of non-technology products such as Kraft Foods. It is also being piloted in some Minnesota companies. Proponents of the practice argue that allowing employees to bring the latest technology to the office boosts work force productivity, efficiency, and morale—and as owners rather than renters they’re more likely to take better care of their devices.

Other factors being equal, proponents say, BYOPC is also a good recruiting and retention tool for top talent that appreciates choice and has a strong preference for, say, iPhones over BlackBerries or Macs over Dells.

“Many of today’s workers lead dual technology lives,” says Theresa Putzier, information technology practice manager for OTT, an information technology consulting company in Roseville. “They use older technology in the workplace, like Windows XP operating systems and e-mail systems with limited storage, and then go home to the latest hardware and software where they can do things faster and better. That causes frustration, and forces some to become digital rogues and use devices or software not sanctioned by the IT department.”

Indeed, the pro-BYOPC faction often faces stiff resistance from information technology managers more concerned with security issues, liability matters, and the potential for new support headaches than with providing greater personal choice to employees. While BYOPC sounds good in theory, most IT leaders believe the proof is in the pudding and are approaching it with baby steps.