Large organisations are immature when it comes to planning end-user computing initiatives, preferring to measure feedback instead of acting strategically, a report said.

That’s because they’re unsure of how to approach the concept of end-user computing as a cohesive strategy, and manage the proliferation of devices and their associated security risks, explained the 2015 Mobile Workforce Report published by Dimension Data.

At the same time, organisations around the globe are considering a more user centric approach by introducing mobility concepts into their organisation, the report added.

Dimension Data surveyed 730 organisations employing 1000 - or more – staff across five regions, 11 countries, and 14 industries. The research was undertaken to understand the challenges that CIOs are facing when it comes to adopting a user centric approach to doing business, and provide insights into strategies and habits influencing end-user computing.

According to the report, of those organisations polled, 44 per cent have incorporated enterprise mobility into a broader end-user computing strategy and have budget for end-user computing on multiple devices, while 13 per cent have no end-user computing strategy in place.

On average, end-user computing is 28 per cent of the IT budget. The research indicates that almost two thirds (61 per cent) of participants indicated that they are seeing ROI from end-user computing initiatives, with a further (65 per cent) of organisations are seeing competitive advantage from their approach to end-user computing.

Jaco Hattingh, senior vice president for Enterprise Mobility at Dimension Data said: “The global workspace is changing along with where and how people work and perform their business functions. We’re seeing a growing number of organisations starting to embrace future forward working styles such as flexible time and ability to work remotely, which includes accessing the corporate network.”

Hattingh pointed out that giving end-users access to information via company portals signals that the right steps towards market maturity are being taken. “It’s all about embracing the new workspace - the workspaces for tomorrow.”

Workspaces for tomorrow is a workplace strategy with the aim of empowering individuals to choose different kinds of work settings that suit various types of activities with a goal to provide a modern collaborative environment within innovative workspaces and new technology concepts to support flexible ways of working.

Other highlights in the 2015 Mobile Workforce Report include:

•    Mobile IT management and Mobile Applications are top initiatives for 2016;

•    An overwhelming number of respondents do not have a comprehensive management solution for both phones and tablets (32 per cent) or utilise a siloed approach to manage both PCs and smart devices (31 per cent).

•    As expected, security is the single top priority component of EUC among almost half (43 per cent) of respondents, followed by IT Service Management;

•    The CIO is the most prominent driver of strategic mobility initiatives within the business. However, they remain in a reactive state when it comes to end user computing, and are struggling to act strategically.

Meanwhile, while the modern worker expects access to anyone, anytime and anywhere, 82 per cent of organisations stated that a key obstacle facing end-user computing initiatives is protecting company data and providing a good user experience.

“It appears that the proliferation of employee-owned mobile devices has placed the IT department in a reactive state when it comes to management and enablement, leaving CIOs unable to respond strategically. Nevertheless, it’s a vibrant and exciting time for end-user computing as organizations press ahead aggressively,” Hattingh added. – TradeArabia News Service