back to article HP exec: 'CYOD' will TEAR APART the IT dept as we know it

Corporations are close to handing staff credit notes to buy or choose their own technology in a trend that will bust classic IT departments and supply chains, HP's top boss for Europe reckons. BYOD has morphed into Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) but the impact will still be just as dramatic, said Herbert Köck, HP's joint head …

COMMENTS

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  1. Jad

    Oh God no!

    I can see all the cr*ppy white computers with no memory or hard drive being bought because they look nice ... And when they don't work they will require _more_ support than the boxes we currently have under our control.

    It's easy to see what will happen, since we used to let employees buy their own printers ... everyone buys the cr*ppy HP wifi printers that work on some networks some of the time, and manage to overwrite the networking stack so bad that the computers don't work on corporate networks ...

    Our users also believe everything that a droid from PC World/Currys tell them ...

    BYOD is bad enough CYOD ... not while I have breath in my body!

  2. James 51

    If I tried to bring my own device I'd be risking my job by fall foul of a number of our policies, particularly the security ones. I know our auditors would have a field day. As for being handed vouchers to buy stuff, ha. We need to fill in a form and get two managers to sign it before we can submit it to finance who can decide if we really need that book.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Really?

      In my admittedly limited experience, in most places more than 90% of policies can be surpassed without absolutely no one, auditors included, ever having a clue of what is going on. So could you at least hint the type of work you do?

      Judging by the big scandals, note that at least big firm auditors and financial institutions are notoriously incompetent in these areas.

      I always find security and policies inconvenient, although I understand why they are in place and try to respect and follow where possible. Especially if they try to balance productivity with security. But what drives me mad is when these are preventing to do work or are not even auditable. Then everyone has to appear to respect and follow them and they become just CYA exercises that no one really cares about.

      1. James 51

        Re: Really?

        Just an in-house development team but we have our policies and we’re expected to stick to them. Even if we are less likely to mess things up, the users wouldn’t tolerate one rule for them and another for us on things like connecting unsecured devices to the network.

        We get audited several times a year both internally and externally and they are gradually getting stricter. Everything gets logged so sooner or later stepping over the line would get noticed and getting the accreditation that our managers want would rest on coming down on transgressors.

  3. Nick Ryan Silver badge

    In all this time of the BYOD pushers releasing press notices and other such "advertising" as they can get away with... I've still yet to fully understand just who BYOD will actually benefit other than the pushers of BYOD management systems.

    The majority of staff use a computer as a tool to do a job. If it works, that's its requirements taken care of. Power users, of various types, have always required more specialised systems and a good corporate IT department will cater for these as well and in practice, in a given organisation there won't be more than a few different distinct power user requirements, although there may always be the odd specific case.

    "Bring your own mobile device"... now that does have value as an employee would then not have to carry multiple devices around. There is also the cynical point of view that an employee is more likely to take care of their own mobile device than a company one.

  4. ahfakopsdfi

    If there's going to be a "a menu of certified options", how much does that differ from the current state of a catalogue of options from which users can select? I could see that it might be a longer list with more options, but surely the business would set-up the contract and then call-off against that?

    Doesn't look like a major seismic shift to me, just an incremental expanding of options ...

    1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

      End of the one size fits all approach

      A developer has different requirements from that of a sales droid.

      ergo, one standard totally locked down pc/laptop might work for the sales depts but for the developers? Are you kidding....

  5. Nya

    I dunno...

    Am sure letting them choose from a list of one would be perfect. They don't, and won't be getting any more options but that though!

  6. msknight

    You're kidding me

    "This could drive those workers into the welcoming arms of hard-pressed retailers - but those retailers may not have the biz spec gear demanded by corporate overlords."

    After an article on the Reg the other week that said that people's own kit outstripped their employers, sub-standard kit?

    Either it is one way or the other; either retail kit outstrips corporate supply, or it can't live up to corporate standards. I know which one I'd put my money on!

    The only sad thing is that this kind of money won't buy you a lot from the outset, and any cash gains by bulk buying are lost. inefficient use of cash, even IF the individual is allowed to top up the spending wonga with their own cash.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    HP is trying to make it sound like this is about PCs

    But the "menu of certified options" would eliminate the problems they claim.

    What they're really worried about is how since they hitched their wagon to Microsoft's Windows Phone anchor, they have essentially no presence in the smartphone and tablet world. All the employees want to bring in are iOS and Android devices, hardly anyone wants WP8.

    HP wants to create some FUD so IT departments mandate a single device for everyone. Which they assume, and not without reason, would be Windows Phone. Then they wouldn't have to sit on the sidelines watching Apple and Samsung make all the mobile device sales.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Say what?

      Huh? How has HP 'hitched their wagon to the Microsoft Windows Phone anchor'? They don't sell any Windows Phone products at all. Their lack of presence in the tablet and phone market is because of the embarrassment that was Leo killing all those products when they had barely even been on the market. Those were based on WebOS, which has nothing to do with Windows Phone at all.

  8. Zacherynuk

    This could get tricky...

    Most users already get a certain 'choice in their devices - dependant mostly on the role they perform.

    I resell equipment of all sorts to clients - it's all best of breed with reasoning into warranties, performance, specification, durability and past experience... and because I sell a fair bit I am bitten down on price by the bean counters and chaps in IT at every client.

    If I was forced to resell with joe-blogs making the choice, with no formal processes, then - I could see instant $$$ profit.

    However, if this then becomes a B2C transaction, giving the new boy in junior app support the right to 'change his mind' in seven days, call me incessantly about why it keeps 'developing tool-bars on internet explorer' and demand a full refund in 11 months because the 'hard drive is slow' - then you can fuck right off. I'm not here to support your users, MR CYOD.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Both my current and previous employer have allowed me to use my own iPhone and iPad at work and have downloaded a raft of IOS Profiles for MDM, App Catalogs, AnyConnect (VPN), Airwatch device manager etc. which seem to put their minds at rest from a security perspective. I feel better not lugging an overweight PC or having the lowest spec BB mobile to contend with - so I guess we are both happy. Of course Id be much happier if they offered better devices in the first place or if my iPad could manipulate Excel and PowerPoint more natively in MS OS.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What they are saying is that.

    If individual users buy their own PC's, how are we going to justify selling them the over priced under spec box we want to sell them.

  11. NeilMc

    This is the Tech sector sowing seeds in the minds of IT Directors, CTO's and FD's.

    "Let promote BYOD / CYOD and shift a substantial amount of IT hardware cost to clients employees".

    Lets face it most Users will get their €500 voucher and then go and buy a better / higher spec machine than was specified and will pay the additional monies themselves as their employer will reject paying for over specc'd machines.

    Happy days another FUBAR business idea with no real benefit or value other than to serve parties with vested interests.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    check your facts!

    "but HP, Dell and Cisco do not allow their workers to bring their own devices into the workplace"

    Check your facts. I work for HP. I know of no policy prohibiting me from bringing my own devices to work. I certainly always bring my smart phone. HP IT has strict policies about how devices that are allowed onto their networks are to be secured, but those really boil down to requirements to run a suite of security software, not a requirement to use HP hardware.

    Of course, if I actually want any kind of support, I need to be running IT approved equipment. Otherwise it's all "self support".

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