IT consumerization has been something that we have seen but tried to ignore for years. It is believed that we no longer have the luxury of doing this.

"Consumer IT will affect every enterprise. Attempts by enterprise to deny this are doomed to failure, just as previous attempts to deny Wi-Fi, "smart" mobile phones, the Internet, and even the PC itself failed".
- Gartner-

Consumerization refers to devices that appeared in the consumer driven market that moved into the business space and vice versa.

Consumerization has been driven by equipment manufacturers who perceive the consumer as a revenue stream, the Internet and its ability to meet multiple needs for the average individual, and the Millenials- people born after 1980 who have never been without technology.

Consumers are the largest consumers of technology. According to Paul Ortellini, President and CEO of Intel, the primary focus of the manufacturer is this group.

Millenials bring a new attitude to the IT table. They have grown up with technology so they are more inclined to look to the technology solution to accomplish tasks. The Millenial is less inclined to respect barriers to the use of technology including corporate policies around IT.

Risks in consumerization include security, loss of control, regulatory and legal issues, increased support costs, loss of productivity, and loss of user dissatisfaction. It becomes necessary to strategize to counter these risks.

Consider how consumerization impacts your workplace and how you, the IT professional manage the risks while providing a flexible enough environment to maintain both productivity and user satisfaction.