More and more of Australia's information technology workers (iWorkers) are squeezing work in the bedroom, family gatherings, during commutes and even on vacation, according to the second annual Consumerisation of IT study, conducted for Unisys by International Data Corp. (IDC).

The report showed that iWorkers make the most of their commute time (including when flying) and are being more productive during so-called downtime (vacations, watching TV), even squeezing in work in the bedroom and at family gatherings.

It said iWorkers send or receive email, posts, texts for businesses in places of worship, family gatherings, during vacation, even when attending entertainment events.

It added that between mobility and the desire to squeeze more productivity out of their day, iWorkers with iPads were on average at least 10% more likely to engage in work from alternative locations.

"We believe a key reason for this particular finding is that the iPad is especially good for instant-on, quick access to work snacking. If you have a few minutes in between — or during — personal obligations, an iPad is a good choice because it has a much larger screen than a smartphone and a much faster boot-up than a PC or Mac," the report said.

The IT study showed that the use of consumer-style technology, such as smartphones, tablets and social media, by iWorkers in Australian workplaces accelerated over the last year.

In 2011, 28 percent of Australian iWorkers say they use iPhones for work purposes, up from 9 percent in 2010, and 25 percent use iPads and other tablets, up from 14 percent.

Similarly, employees report much increased use of social media at work, with 20 percent using Twitter, up from 4 percent last year.

In addition, 23 percent use Facebook or MySpace and 27 percent use Linked in and Plaxo – rising from 5 percent and 15 percent, respectively, in 2010.

However, the Unisys-sponsored research shows that the trend continues to be driven by employees and the majority of large organisations have not yet implemented programs to proactively manage, support and secure these technologies due to limited resources and the scope of end-user demands.

"Over the last 12 months, employers have moved from ‘blissful ignorance’ to ‘paralysed awareness’ in the face of consumerisation of IT," Lee Ward, vice president and general manager, IT outsourcing, Unisys Asia Pacific said.

"They are more cognisant of the impact that mobile technologies and social media are having on their employees and their business, but are seemingly daunted by the perceived security risks and increased demand on IT resources and don’t know where to begin to address the challenges. The longer they delay in doing so, however, the harder it will be for them to manage these issues and realize the business benefits they can achieve by embracing consumer technologies," Ward said.

Australia was one of nine countries surveyed as part of the 2011 Unisys-sponsored global research study. The research is based on responses from two separate but related surveys.

The Australian studies surveyed 301 iWorkers (employees who use PCs, smartphones and/or tablets for work) within organizations and 75 IT department executives and managers.

The research findings suggest that the acceleration in employee use of consumer-style devices is driven by the desire for greater mobility.

The iWorkers surveyed expect their iPads or other tablets to be their most critical business devices in 12 months time.

The Unisys research, however, revealed striking disconnects between what devices and social media Australian employees say they use for work purposes and what employers think they are using.

The iWorkers consistently reported higher usage of iPads, tablets, iPhones and social media at work than employers thought, by up to three times in the case of iPads and other tablets.

This suggests that employees are participating in bring your own technology (BYOT) –but that much of it is unofficial.

For example, around 16 percent of iWorkers say they use iPads for work, but employers say only 8 percent of their employees do so and 28 percent of iWorkers say they use iPhones for work purposes, yet employers say only 16 percent of their workers do so.

Australian employers see benefits in allowing employees to participate in BYOT initiatives, with 28 percent saying such a policy would cut costs for the organization and 44 percent saying it would improve employee satisfaction and productivity.

Nearly one third (31 percent) of Australian employers are considering introducing a discount or stipend scheme in the next twelve months to assist employees in purchasing their own devices.

However, iWorkers are not waiting for their employers to adopt such a policy and are purchasing their own smartphone or tablet for work purposes.

Australian employers see the consumerisation trend as inevitable, with 84 percent saying they think tablet devices will become an integral part of the business.

They also acknowledge that consumer technology offers significant benefits, with 83 percent of respondents saying that it increases morale and 76 percent saying it makes employees more productive.

However, employers see a number of barriers to adopting an official BYOT program, with 74 percent citing security concerns, 64 percent citing viruses from social networks and 55 percent citing challenges in developing corporate policies.

A key area of concern for large Australian organizations is providing support for consumer technology, with 76 percent employers saying they believe that providing such support would increase the workload on the IT department.

"Ultimately, embracing the consumerisation trend requires a change in IT strategy," Ward said.

"The fact that employers report that almost a third of the employees would troubleshoot personal-device issues themselves rather than go to the IT department suggests that there is a real opportunity to provide end-user support for consumer devices through new methods such as self-service portals. Providing iWorkers with better tools and information for faster do-it-yourself problem resolution could relieve some of the organizational stress that impedes acceptance of consumerisation of IT," she said.

In addition to internal IT support issues, Australian organizations seem to be falling behind in getting ready to serve new generations of mobile, tech-savvy iWorkers.

Most IT executives responding to the survey say that their organizations have not yet moved corporate applications other than email onto mobile devices.

The report said only 4 percent of organizations have modernized customer-facing applications for tablets or smartphones and only another 4 percent expect to do so in the next 12 months.

"True mobility means more than just offering email on your smartphone or tablet," said Ward.

"It’s about making use of simpler, more automated user interfaces and other features offered by mobile devices to improve the efficiency of existing business processes or even create whole new business models," she said.

The Unisys-sponsored research suggests that while employers realize the need to get on top of the key issues around consumerisation of IT, they don’t know where to start.

"With so many competing priorities it’s no wonder organizations are daunted by the challenge and feel overwhelmed. But they can’t afford to continue the delay," she said.

Unisys suggests the following approach: find out what is being used now and secure it with both technology and policies to prevent business-critical data being compromised

Business should determine which tools will offer the greatest productivity benefits.

Unisys is a worldwide information technology company,providing a portfolio of IT services, software, and technology that solves critical problems for clients.