I think this really depends on the company you're working for. Go work for Microsoft, and you can pretty much do whatever you want to your laptop (provided it's legal). My company is the same. But I can understand the other arguments being made here (which I largely agree with).
In a large enterprise, IT is a productivity tool - a cog in a wheel. But I disagree with some of the more extreme measures being mentioned here (like disallowing people from changing their IM status). People can take the phone off the hook if they need some uninterrupted quiet time to get some work done - why shouldn't they be able to be avoid being bothered on IM? Cheers Ken From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, 20 November 2009 9:37 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: Re: WSJ Reporter thinks IT departments should allow users to install whatever When you've outsourced IT, there's no one left to torture or object. But, as with all other ill-fated trends, we'll see the pendulum swing back the other way as productivity plummets. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry ________________________________ From: "Alex Eckelberry" <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:27:46 -0500 To: NT System Admin Issues<[email protected]> Subject: RE: WSJ Reporter thinks IT departments should allow users to install whatever The interesting and amazing thing is that this really is where some major companies are going - giving their users stipends to buy whatever equipment they want, etc. From: Jonathan Link [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 5:13 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: WSJ Reporter thinks IT departments should allow users to install whatever Discuss: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703567204574499032945309844.html I believe this is more an indictment of the low quality of journalism nowadays. It's little more than a rant on his employer's IT policies. In no instance does he discuss the measured effect of IT policies might have within an organization. He makes vague allusions to the productivity gains users could acheive if allowed to use any software they felt necessary to do their job. Near the end of the article he does finally discuss some of the valid reasons for constraining users ability to install shiny new software in order to be more "productive." ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
