A third of UK businesses have found that using personal devices in the workplace has boosted productivity among staff members.
A survey by Citrix found that despite many firms encouraging staff to use devices such as smartphones and tablets for business purposes, many are not managing the security risks adequately.
Over half of the companies questioned admitted they had no policies or procedures in place to manage the use of personal devices, while almost half are not aware of what devices people are using for business purposes.
When asked about security risks, almost a third (32 per cent) of companies said their top concern was the implications of allowing application and document downloads while 29 per cent are concerned over remote access to the corporate network.
Citrix SVP and GM Brett Caine said that it is becoming increasingly important to manage personal devices as they can help boost productivity and make it easier for staff to embrace mobile working.
“It is no longer building for PC versus Mac; it is designing for the ubiquitous device changing the nature of work to anywhere, anytime,” he noted.
“The edge of the company network is extended while software ubiquity and complexity rapidly increases. Enabling support, monitoring and managing remote and mobile workers is now a de facto requirement for IT to ensure highly productive and effective businesses,” added Citrix VP and GM of IT Services Elizabeth Cholawsky.
Recent research by Casio Projectors also highlighted the popularity of bring your own technology policies, with mobile phones being the most common personal devices used.
They were followed by laptops and tablets, which just three per cent opted to use in the workplace.
However, it was also noted that one in five firms have banned staff from using the own gadgets for work tasks due to security concerns.
