The real Shadow IT is not about personal computing

Submitted by skeptic on Thu, 2014-07-17 02:09
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There seems to be a wide-spread misapprehension that Shadow IT is exemplified by BYOD, that staff bringing their own personal devices is somehow making a big hole in IT's control of core information processing.

I think it is self-absorbed to equate personal computing support with IT support. Your own personal digital experience is only one part of supporting the information and technology of the business. BYOD and SYOD (support your own device) are only one piece of the puzzle, and a small one. Good on them for taking a high-cost low-value problem away from IT.

People who think this way need to step away from their own petty daily computing problems and see information form the organisational perspective. The REAL Shadow IT is when the business units start creating branding, or engaging customers, or exposing or processing data. That's an utterly different issue which I don't see being discussed in so many "Shadow IT" conversations.

See also Dark IT http://www.itskeptic.org/content/dark-it

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