Most firms let workers choose PC or Mac

The majority (60%) of Australian organisations allow employees to choose between a Mac and PC, according to a survey from Apple management provider Jamf.

Organisations are also increasingly adopting bring-your-own-device (BYOD) or choose-your-own-device (CYOD) programs, and 30% are now enabling employees to access cloud-based applications.

But such programs are creating challenges for IT teams struggling to maintain security of systems and data, with one in four IT managers struggling with application compatibility, 33% with user training and 34% with security standards.

The survey also found that 23% of organisations support no more than 75% of their devices with services provided by the IT department, including password protection policies and antivirus applications.

When it comes to mobile endpoint management, 62% of IT managers find the process of the configuration and reconfiguration of the devices to be resource intensive. Other time-consuming aspects include OS updates, dealing with lost, stolen and broken devices, and software patching.

“The heart of IT is about empowering people and being able to serve and secure all types of users on all the devices they use, wherever they are across mobile, cloud and personal computing environments. The survey would suggest that what’s needed is an integrated approach to manage, secure and support users and a user’s device,” Jamf country manager for ANZ Jamie Davidson said.

“Indeed, we believe 2017 will be all about helping IT organisations and their users understand and embrace the speed of change in their environments.”

Image courtesy of Walter Rumsby under CC