Have your users managed to force iOS devices on you? NetApp has used its acquired IonGrid technology to provide iOS mobile devices with access to file data stored on its FAS arrays, along with browser access to business apps. Apple iPad and iPhone users will have an App Store app they can use to log into their corporate system, using Active Directory or a multi-factor …
@TeeCee - it depends on what business you are in. We're about to roll iPhones out to 3000 front line staff as an enabler for better customer service. The relevant business unit asked for iPhones and we gave 'em iPhones. The reason we didn't argue is that (a) we're service driven and therefore focus on helping our customer, not telling them what they can and can't have, and (b) we know how tough the change management issue is for a rollout this large - so if the end users kick up less of a stink because they get the latest iPhone, then that translates into a lower risk implementation for us and a lower cost.
If there is one thing that around 40 years of corporate computing has taught me, it's that "the easy answer" always leads to tears.
Front line "customer service" staff (read: minimum-wage phone-bank staff cuboids) need wireless, much less cellular telephones for corporate use? What the FUCK is your company thinking?
I mean, seriously, your IT department thinks of corporate users as "customers" who "get what they ask for"? What company do you work for? Are you publicly traded? I'd love to short sell you!
"Front line...is your company thinking?
Oh, maybe said staff have to visit customer premises and need something handy that works over 3G networks? An iPhone is not essential, but also not that bad a choice in that case.
IT departments are there to serve the business, that means balancing what people need/want to do against the risks of letting them do it, and as necessary to make sure the systems are protected from the dumb and malicious (both inside and outside the company).
"More complex answer? I spec the corporate network. The users don't."
So you check all the network logs to make sure people don't see porn (paying specail attention to the CEO becaue, you know, you can) and in your spare time you tell them what devices they're allowed to use. You're a fun guy Jake.
Porn (gaming sites, so-called "social" media, other non-work-related time wasters, etc.) is blocked at the border routers. These are corporate computers, not toys. They are for doing work, not playing. There is a reason they are called "Workstations" instead of "Wankstations".
Yes, I've turned more than one CEO into The Board for attempting to get around the filters to view porn at work. No, I don't review the logs, silly. The scripts do.
It's my JOB to spec what tools are used in/on the corporate network. Your iFad/Fandroid/Crackberry/etc. need not apply. I have never seen a single business case that makes sense for these devices. They are a toy & a distraction, not a business tool.
Supposedly, I am a fun guy (or so my friends tell me ... a couple of my younger nephews call me "evil meanie poo-poo-head" behind my back, and they are right, but they are all still alive and have all their digits). I am dead fucking serious about my job, though.
@Jake, Jake .. Here's a tip. You don't need to enter into every discussion. If you really find porn boring, skip those threads. Similarly, just because you've never seen a business case for mobile, doesn't mean there aren't any. There's a lot of things you haven't seen ... Girls Gone Wild for example .. but I digress ..
Your schtick seems to be to jump onto threads and shout passionately that you find the topic under discussion boring .. coupled with a bit of moralising and some sort of non sequitur designed to show that you are A Serious Person With Important Responsibilities.
Give it a rest. No one cares. KCCO
Nicho, I actually STARTED this commentard conversation. You're the one who dropped "porn is an A-OK use of corporate infrastructure" into the equation. I disagreed, because I get paid to keep the lawyers out the expenditures bottom-line. I'm not passionate about it, other than the fact that I'm in it for the money.
"Girls Gone Wild" is hardly a Fortune 1,500, and never will be. Not enough 14 year old boys on the entire planet for that to ever happen.
I didn't say the story was boring. Nor imply it. I simply gave my opinion on the subject matter.
Nor did I moralize. I'm on record here on ElReg that I don't give a rat's ass about porn. It's been around as long as humanity, and isn't going to go away any time soon. I do, however, care an awful lot about not losing my source of income, which is protecting my client's corporate computing resources from prats like you.
As for "Give it a rest. No one cares."
You sure seem to. Think about it.
"KCCO"
Awwww. Aren't you hip. How cute :-)
I find that difficult to believe. The integrity of The Register fall victim to the impulsive urge to grab the headline joke before the truth enough as it is. We all know that and it is what most people read it for. Onion headlines with articles struggling to establish authority after the laughter of the headline. That's The Register. But that is a different thing from presenting adverts as a story without flagging it. Any website which does that is condemning itself to be irrelevant crap.
These kinds of devices are usually in addition to existing material and the company will have to pay for pay for the Hardware ( refreshed each 3 or 4 years ), Licences, Maintenance and Training and Support ( annual - Recurring costs).
By the way support will never be pushed onto the user, it always falls through to the IT dept. ( Unless you work in a tech company)
As for the cost of the device, I would like to see just how many users are willing to stump up 700 USD/ EUR for a device for the workplace...
I really don't see any long term cost efficiency coming out of this.. I would be interested in reading your Business Case in order to establish where you are really saving money.
I would also be very sceptical about actual cost savings, particularly of the sort suggested.
The benefits we see are less obvious - improved relations with the business is certainly part of it; being able to say yes to people using the devices they prefer rather than throwing up objections the whole time is good PR.
The business benefits from the staff being more flexible - we have multiple, large sites and letting people work on the most portable devices with the best battery life is genuinely useful.
The key thing for us is that it wasn't difficult, had no significant costs attached, and doesn't generate any significant problems - it all uses the same infrastructure that enables remote working so we're getting extra value for money from that with minimal effort. It's been a pretty positive experience.
I love the commentards who proclaim "you'll NEVER find xyz on my network. I am the God. I set the rules".
I love their naivety, the fact they think they're in control.
Unless you own the company, you don't control squat! If the owner says "I want an iPad", you'll raise your protestations and highlight the risk, but ultimately you'll capitulate and they'll get their iPad. Your other option is quit (at which point it won't be your network), but then are you really that stupid?
You might be able to keep the proletariat in their place, but never say never (downvotes in 3,2,1...)
I'm not God. I'm the Chief Cook & Bottle Washer. Not even God uses an iFad/Fandroid/Crackberry/etc. on my networks. It's in the contract. If it's broken, the warranty is void and the maintenance contract itself is null and void, with no loss of income to myself.
If you don't like it, don't ask me to build you a corporate data center.
Harsh? Only if you prefer playing/porn at work to actually ...uh ... working.
YES! With all the talk about IT governance, risk management, security compliance and all glorious standards and processes, it seems that most IT people ignore the realities of the environment we're working on.
The only employees that are going to actually respect and follow the procedures are the ones who don't have power to override them. For the rest, the rules don't apply.
No we educated them as to the reasons why Apple products are bad for business, we then bought them really good Android devices instead (Galaxy S3, or a Galaxy S3 Mini)
Guess what 95% of them are perfectly happy. The 5% that aren't are mostly unhappy due to being locked into Apple at home, and nothing really to do with the Android handset we gave them.
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