Never left to our own devices

When the smartphone revolution hit, it drove thoroughgoing changes in user expectations of computing devices. Prior to the arrival of iOS and Android, typically staff used whatever they were issued with, and on the whole, it tended to be a robust if unexciting laptop or desktop computer.

Rare was the user who chose a different path, perhaps an Apple fan who brought in their own Mac laptop much to the chagrin of the IT department. Business executives, meanwhile, may have been supplied a BlackBerry, but choice was rarely a factor.

The iPhone changed everything. Suddenly, users had access to a new and exciting kind of device in their personal lives – and they wanted to use them in work, too.

The initial response to this was the trumpeting of a policy of ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD). This certainly satisfied users, especially if the cost of the device was subsidised by an employer, but it created real problems for the IT department: overnight device management and security became massively more complex. It was also a compliance nightmare.

As a result, despite being much-ballyhooed, BYOD never gained mainstream acceptance in Ireland.

This sent businesses back to square one, though: internal users were still demanding better tools. Moreover, businesses going through digital transformation needed them. And yet, simply buying devices and handing them out was not only costly, but the devices then needed to be subject to a range of management activities including, for example, security.

Responding to this, more and more businesses are finding an answer in device as a service (DaaS).

“I would say there is a trend towards the as a service model,” said Steve Rowe, Apple business development manager at Presidio.

One significant reason for this is control of spending: DaaS means there is no capital outlay on devices. Rowe said that this makes it the most flexible option for many businesses.

“That move from cap-ex to op-ex with predictable pricing helped, particularly as organisations scale up or even, facing headwinds, scale down,” he said.

Another issue is internal ability to support Apple devices, which grow more and more popular with every passing year.

“We are seeing a lot more organisations wanting to offer Apple as a choice. Perhaps they traditionally ran Microsoft and Windows [and] certainly with macOS there is a skills shortage. I think there’s a baseline level of knowledge, but advanced knowledge is more scarce,” he said.

The new world

Another factor that is impossible to ignore is the Covid-19 pandemic, which clearly drove device sales as working from home became the norm during lockdown periods.

However, this brings with it new security challenges: traditional perimeter-based security is no longer enough to protect a businesses’ data, which may reside in the cloud, in the data centre and on individual devices at the same time.

“The last two years have changed the world,” said Rowe.

In response to this, Presidio works to support its DaaS customers.

“We use the best of breed tooling for management and security. When we’re building a service, we evaluate the tools and we have the experience to select the best tools for the job,” he said.

DaaS thus frees-up IT departments to work on strategic projects.

“One of the advantages [of DaaS] that we often hear about is that internal IT teams are struggling with their day-to-day operations, so handing this aspect over takes workload away,” he said.

Even more important from a security point of view, is keeping the operating systems and applications set up to date. As users are often reluctant to update devices, DaaS providers can do it for their client businesses.

“We work with the organisation to control that. You politely advise people to stay up to date, but, in the end, if a user refuses, then it can be made mandatory,” said Rowe.

“For organisations with remote work and zero trust [access policies] that is becoming more essential than ever.”

As technology has grown to colonise our lives it is only natural that it has an impact on the world of work. But the impact that is being felt is about more than just the number of devices in use. The kinds of technologies, both hardware and software, are changing, too.

“Technology has become a much bigger part of our personal lives, but there is now also a different mix in the workplace. People want the technologies and types of services they have grown up with,” he said.

Partially a generational issue, Rowe also said that some potential staff were starting to choose employers on the basis of the technology they use.

“I would say users are more technology savvy and we have heard from customers that, particularly with certain roles, they may not take the role if they're not given the latest technology,” he said.