IT decision-makers see productivity gains with tablets, smartphones

The consumerization of IT and the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) movement are two phrases that have been uttered a lot in enterprise IT departments in recent years, and, according to a study from CDW, these trends are beginning to pay off.

In a survey of more than 1,000 IT decision-makers, three-quarters of respondents say they have seen an increase in productivity thanks to the use of tablet computers and smartphones in their organizations. Twenty-five percent of respondents say these gains have been significant.

Nearly 60 percent of IT decision-makers say they support tablet computers in the workplace, whether the company provides the devices or workers bring their own from home. This is more prevalent among midsize and large companies, but smaller businesses and government organizations are also gravitating toward this trend.

According to the report, 31 percent of those organizations that don't support tablet computers plan to do so within the next six months.

CDW's figures differ significantly from those of another study from Robert Half Technology. According to that report, two-thirds of surveyed companies do not support BYOD, indicating that even though the practice is spreading, it still has room to grow.