Staff allowed to surf the net

Almost half of firms sanction employee use of corporate technology

UK mobile device adoption for work falls behind the rest of the world

Nearly half of UK employers approve staff use of corporate technology for personal purposes, says research.

Use of computers in the workplace continues to rise, but the UK is lagging behind other countries in the use of mobile devices, says research from analyst IDG, commissioned by Unisys.

In the UK, 46 per cent of employees use mobiles at work, compared with 54 per cent in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and 49 per cent globally.

And in the UK three quarters of workers use PCs, compared with 72 per cent across Emea and 74 per cent globally.

The survey highlights a number of interesting changes in the use of and attitudes to IT in the workplace, said Unisys outsourcing business director Gerry Heard.

‘That people are relying more on computers and mobile devices to carry out their jobs is perhaps not surprising given the proliferation of devices on the market and the ever growing capabilities of IT,’ said Heard.

‘It is interesting to see the attitude that UK business has towards the use of corporate IT for personal use,’ said Heard.

‘With careful guidelines and monitoring there is no reason why businesses should not allow some personal use on their systems – indeed it could prove a motivator to staff,’ he said.