Pick-and-mix IT a huge opportunity

Stuart Driver, Director of IT services at Citrix Australia, says that the proliferation of consumer devices and the enterprise adoption rate of tablets such as iPad, are causing huge shifts in the way IT departments manage endpoints but they can be turned into opportunities.

“It’s driving enterprises to think about how they deliver desktops and applications virtually to the end user or customers,” he says. “Our technology allows enterprises or smaller organisations to be able to think about the desktop, securing that and then being able to deliver that out to any device.”

When asked about complications arising from the growing choices in end user devices, Driver says that Citrix isn't worried and has programs that allow people to bring in their own device whether it’s a notebook or a tablet.

“We know full well that as an IT organisation we can secure the applications, secure the desktop and deliver it to any device over any network,” he said.

Driver sees the consumer world starting to dictate more and more to the business world exactly what they want, particularly as the younger generations come into the workplace.

“Historically people like myself have been able to sit here and dictate what applications and websites you can and can’t have access to. That’s all changing and what we’re seeing is a groundswell from the bottom up with people saying ‘if I use this device while I’m at home, why shouldn’t I use it while I’m at work?’”

The same is also happening from the top down. “Corporate, executive and CIO levels are also saying these devices really are good because they spend all week on the road and the form factor works. They’re now saying ‘How are you going to give me what I need in terms of my information and applications?’

“For us we’re the glue that holds all of that together and we see this as a huge opportunity,” Driver concluded.