British workers are increasingly using their personal devices at work
If there is one thing that seems to be unifying the business and consumer worlds at the moment, it’s technology.
From laptops to tablet devices and even smartphones, organisations and individuals are benefitting from the increased accessibility to the web that is associated with such gadgets.
So as emerging and developing technologies continue to offer multiple functions that make them particularly useful in a range of areas, Bobby Watkins, director of Gemini Devices, explains that they are becoming far more prominent in the workplace – and it’s because people are so well acquainted with the way they operate.
"These devices are so personal to individuals they get used to using them," he said.
"The amount of consumers that have these types of devices [has been growing] – they’re easy to use and consumers have started using them in the workplace."
And as well as the growing trend for workers bringing their own devices to the office or using them to access their company emails while on the bus, Mr Watkins believes that tablets are becoming increasingly linked with cloud computing.
"We’ve seen [cloud services on tablets] increase dramatically – whatever the content, whether it’s gaming, video or storage of media files," he added.
But while there are various cost saving and productivity-boosting benefits associated with having employees use their personal smartphones, tablets and laptops at work, there is also the new range of security concerns linked to the practice.
Indeed, using cloud services for backing up files while on the move may be an extremely efficient way of storing data, but employees have to ensure they are taking the appropriate precautions to prevent their devices being compromised.
By implementing a specific policy designed to promote the need for workers to install the necessary protective software on their devices, companies can reduce the risk that having staff use their own gadgets does not leave confidential files exposed.