We are getting close to wrapping up our multi-company research project on “Redefining Employee Computing.” This was focused on the emerging trend of moving away from a highly controlled and locked-down approach to what used to be known as “end-user computing” to a more open and self-service model. One of the research team came across this post in Forbes.com about the “Un-marketing of IT.”

I thought the post was spot on! It includes a short interactive survey (4 questions) and you can see the results instantly. It’s not a pretty picture. Overwhelmingly, respondents conclude:

1. IT’s limiting of the the use of technology creates a poor impression of IT.
2. IT does not provide an adequate explanation for limiting the use of technology.
3. When IT limits the use of technology, it does not provide alternative ways to accomplish tasks.
4. IT does not provide a responsive support structure to address issues caused by limiting the use of technology.

Like so many things in life, service providers seem to care mostly about making their own lives simple - as opposed to thinking through the entire customer experience, and making lives effective and productive for the customer. I see too many business executives who have to tote two laptops and two personal organizers (one of each for business use and one of each for personal use). If personal computing is the most visible face of IT, it’s often not an attractive and welcoming face. And then we wonder why business executives cry, “IT costs too much and delivers too little!”

I know I will get hate mail for this post - “It’s not our fault, it’s the lawyers and HR folk!” “We’re only trying to protect the company and its assets!” I recognize these factors, and why the locked down PC environment was necessary. However, a new day is dawning and it’s time to enable the enterprise. Some constraints are OK - but they need to be explained, alternative ways to work need to be made available, and a responsive infrastructure is essential if we really want IT to be a strategic capability.