Computacenter: Young turks shunning BYOD
IT services outfit unveils research that shatters perception that 16-24 year olds are driving consumerisation of IT
The perception that BYOD is being driven by tech-savvy "Generation Z" employees in the workplace is a fallacy, according to recent research from Computacenter.
16-24 year olds actually take a dim view of bringing consumer devices into work and the craze is instead being driven by more affluent senior employees, the IT services firm found.
Almost half of organisations with over 25 per cent of 16-24 year olds are more likely to cater for at least one consumer devices in the workplace, according to the research - which quizzed 1,000 16-24 year olds and 200 IT decision makers.
Despite this, 37 per cent of Generation Z respondents said they would rather have a Blackberry, compared to only 23 per cent who would prefer an Apple device. Indeed, half said they believed consumer devices can be counterproductive and cause them to lose focus.
In contrast, over three-quarters (79 per cent) of the 200 IT decision makers quizzed said their productivity improves with these devices.
Generation Z workers also rate usability over brand, the research found, with 41 per cent preferring iPhones for personal use but 37 per cent preferring Blackberry for work use. Policy also matters to them, with just 23 per cent saying they completely disregard policies around use of personal devices.
Pierre Hall, solutions director at Computacenter, said the research shatters the perception that younger employees are driving BYOD.
"IT decision makers are being swayed by their perceptions of Generation Z's needs," he said. "Just because they have grown up with instant messaging and hi-tech gadgets in their social life doesn't mean they want to bring them to work. This research clearly identifies that Generation Z actually cares more about the right tools to do the job than BYOD."
Most employers allow employees to use personal devices but have policies to limit this, the research also found. Just 16 per cent have unlimited personal device use.