S'poreans want to use own devices for work but lack support: VMware survey

So Easy

Singaporeans are the happiest when they are allowed to use their own personal portable devices for work, but complain that their companies do not offer any form of technical support to do so.

This was the finding from a survey commissioned by VMware - an international company specialising in virtualisations and cloud infrastructure - which studied the prevalence of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement in Singapore.

The study found that 88 per cent of Singaporeans bring their personal portable devices to work, with 50 per cent using them for work-related purposes.

Reasons cited included greater job satisfaction, lower stress levels and increased productivity.

However, while 97 per cent said their company is aware of staff using their devices and applications to do their work, more than three-quarters said that they do not receive any formal technical support.

Compared to the rest of Asia, Singapore scored second-highest in IT policy restrictions at work at 76 per cent, behind only Australia, which scored 79 per cent.

The survey also found that the IT policies of companies also had an impact on employee well-being and satisfaction.

When allowed to use their personal portable devices at work, the majority said that they were more efficient; less stressed, and much happier at work.

Similar results were observed when employees were allowed to use their choice of customised software or web-based apps at work, with 63 per cent viewing supportive companies as more progressive and their employer of choice.

Yet despite this lack of support, 43 per cent said they would still use their choice of device or application.

Hence it is critical that companies take steps to ensure their proprietary information is protected without compromising employee effectiveness and efficiency, said Nicholas Tan, Country Manager of VMware Singapore.

"If companies want to attract and retain the best talent in an employee-led market like Singapore, they need to consider providing a level of technological freedom and IT support that enables employees to do their best work," he added.

He advised companies to create a seamless IT environment by making use of modern technologies such as virtualisation and cloud computing.

ORIGINAL SOURCE
Content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.