Telework and outsourcing growth raise security and skills issues

Flexible working practices will demand more adaptable IT - and more helpdesk staff - warns Deloitte

IT managers will need to do more to provide data security and staff training as home working will continue to increase until 2010, according to a new report on technology, media and communications released by consultancy Deloitte today.

Deloitte predicts that advances in broadband, network security, IP communications and other tools will allow more staff to work from home and will encourage firms to make use of contract workers located anywhere in the world.

Deloitte partner David Tansley said many IT-related problems at work are solved thanks to verbal advice and on an ad-hoc basis by colleagues, and so do not come to the attention of IT staff. So when staff are allowed to work outside the office the burden on helpdesk staff can unexpectedly rise.

"The technology for delivering an office environment to people’s homes is becoming simpler and more reliable,” Tansley added. "But because you don't have your colleagues around to tap on the shoulder [when working from home], some organisations are experiencing [a rise in] trivial helpdesk calls."

Tansley said firms could either invest more in structured IT training, employ more technically literate staff, or hope the problem is a short-term difficulty that will pass.

Home workers are also more likely to use their own software and tools, creating the potential for confidential data to go leave the enterprise network perimeter, Tansley added. IT managers must therefore enforce strict rules to guard equipment and ensure security of company information.

"When that data [moves] onto home PCs and other storage devices, [IT managers] must ask questions as to what level of data risk it's carrying," Tansley argued. "The Catch-22 is that while there are many things making IT support of remote working easier, there is also an increasing likelihood that the employees are contravening IT policy [at home]."

Deloitte also forecast that more firms are likely to use offshore services to get access to higher quality workers, rather than merely to reduce costs in areas such as IT and research and development. However, before outsourcing, IT managers should carefully consider the impact on their department and the risk of skill shortages, Tansley warned.

"IT departments are getting smaller and offshoring and outsourcing [is growing], but firms are underestimating the size of teams that they need [to retain] to manage the interface with the outsourcer," Tansley said. "We also see IT departments don't provide training programmes to give their IT professionals [the skills] to fill new roles, and they are struggling to recruit from elsewhere."