BYOD: What does it all mean for Enterprise IT

I've been having some interesting conversations with some folks I work with and around changes in IT that tablets and smartphones have brought to enterprise IT. People are bringing their personal devices and in many cases storing company data on these devices IT has no control over.

Not to worry! There is a movement afoot called BYOD (Bring your Own Device) with solutions for both phones/tablets (Mobile Device Management /MDM) and the desktop (Virtual Desktop Interface/VDI).  MDM refers to a a genericized BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server). With VDI, what is old is now new. This is essentially the thin clients that were used in the mainframe days. These virtual desktop clouds can be in data centers. With these solutions, IT depts can control the data that goes on these endpoints and enforce policies around anti-virus versions/software/definitions, passwords, and device encryption.

I don't think this is all good. Simply put, by buying in, IT is saying they can't /won't manage their own IT services currently.  So if stuff breaks under this new model, the helpdesk will point them to Apple/Dell or wherever the user bought their laptop/smartphone/tablet/widget for specific device issues e.g. printing from home or component failure. IT should really be scared because that would mean that we're shifting/outsourcing resources more IT functions such as provisioning for mobile devices to MDM tools, physical device management to virtual device management where stock of devices is now unimportant.

Yes there are definite advantages for using this model, like allowing users to choose whether they want to use a Mac or a PC or the choice of an Android phone, a webOS, iPhone, or the standard issue BlackBerry. The other advantage is security in the case of desktop virtualization because we can control what leaves the virtual desktop if anything. Also we have better DR capabilities because 99% of user data will be data center. There are definite use cases for having many types of devices, but these decisions need to be made correctly and shouldn't only be mad for cost savings purposes. 

cool new site-The 99%

I recently found a new site based on an article that was posted on one of my favorite sites (lifehacker.com) called The 99% and is all about execution and delivery. I find that these two concepts are just as if not more important than inspiration and creativity.

I like how the content and the layout and their lack of ads. They interview well known names in creative fields to understand how they are so productive.

From their 'About us'

“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”— Thomas Edison

At 99%, Behance's think tank, we focus on what happens after inspiration — researching the forces that truly push ideas to fruition. Our profiles of proven idea makers, action-oriented tips, best-practices sessions, and annual conference are all designed to help you transform ideas from vision to reality.

Link: The 99%

Teletubbies meet the flaming lips

a note on the anonymous RIM EE's letter to senior management

RIM letter to senior management

This is the first time I'm reading this. It makes sense. RIM is getting losing ground in the enterprise market because people see what's being done in the consumer space by Google/Apple and they want those capabilities and the singular interface for their personal/work devices.