Chapter 2

Embracing the Consumerization of IT

What's in this Chapter?

  • What is the consumerization of IT?
  • The impact on the Technology Adoption Lifecycle
  • The “Long Tail” effect of the App Store
  • Recognizing the benefits of consumerization
  • Learning to embrace consumerization
  • Understanding the iPad's impact on the evolution of IT

Now that we've set the stage in the context of the greater mobility landscape, it's important to understand in greater detail the overall trends that are driving the adoption of the iPad within the enterprise.

As I wrote this book, I spoke to, interviewed, and received feedback from dozens of technology authors, industry analysts, enterprise software executives, Fortune 1000 CIOs, and other visionaries of enterprise IT. Perhaps the best way to explore this concept is to hear from those industry leaders. While the iPad is an extremely polarizing topic on its own, the concept of the “consumerization of IT” is even more controversial. I spoke to nearly as many people who were unwilling to go on the record as to those who allowed me to quote them here.

In this chapter, we'll define what we mean by the consumerization of IT, how this overall trend has accelerated the adoption of the iPad within the enterprise, and thoughts and commentaries from “thought leaders” on this subject.

What Is Consumerization?

The term consumerization first gained popularity in 2001 when it was used by Douglas Neal and John Taylor as a description for how information technology innovation ...

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