4 ms·

Most tradesmen are required to provide their own tools. I can see the arguments about security holding this back, but it's not an unprecedented idea.

crander 16y ago
Tools for developers and designers is a big point. Especially with new hires. Ten years ago joining a major corporation gave you access to resources you didn't have on your own. Exchange was better than Yahoo mail. The T20 cost so much almost no one would buy it for personal use. Today when student graduate they are often used to and already own Mac laptops or high-end PCs and are using Google services. They can lose productivity going from these (cloud) consumer to enterprise technology systems. I recommend the Gartner report "Gartner_Report_BYOC_checklist.pdf" on BYOC.
sliverstorm 16y ago
Indeed, and if your job actually requires a high-end computer you're probably getting paid well enough to afford one.
- gaius 16y ago
  That's simply not true in graphic design, DTP, 3D modelling, etc.
- joeguilmette 16y ago
  Or in any job where mobility is desirable. A good laptop is not cheap.
sudont 16y ago
Most tradesmen have leeway in buying the tools that suit them best. This doesn't work in a corporation, as the amount of work IT would have to do to support every different computer that wanders in would be insane. Look at a college that has this laptop purchase program: students get a choice between Mac and a Dell laptop, and unless you're a fine-arts major you don't get the Mac option. More likely, employees would be forced to buy the one computer that IT specifies. And, knowing how much VB.NET code is running out there now, it'll end up being a top-of-the-line enterprise Dell laptop, crippled with XP and all of their network policies. Somebody who's forced to buy a laptop and then give all control away won't be a happy body.
- gcheong 16y ago
  I think IT often overestimates the actual extra burden that would be required to support more devices and the risks associated. At the last company I worked at there were calls for people to be publicly made "examples of" for running Firefox as it was deemed too much of a support burden to have to support both IE and Firefox and a security threat. Then they found out the CEO had installed it and their tone changed from calling for a witch hunt to a begrudged "you can run it but we won't support it".
  - Natsu 16y ago
    If they're firing people for using Firefox, that's one thing. That's just absurd. But having people bring in their home computers that might be virus-infected or part of a botnet to work? Err, no. I've had more than one home computer brought to me to fix and I have never once let them on the network. I don't need to find out that the next Sasser/Blaster/whatever is now rampaging through our internal network. That's not to say that there aren't people and companies (likely small ones) that couldn't handle this. But unless each person was a pretty decent computer admin who was not likely to install crapware, kept themselves patched, etc., I wouldn't trust them at all. But, like I said, I've seen the home machines of the people at work and I've removed viruses from them. There's no way I'd put them on our network even though I don't think there's anything they could infect. It's just not smart.
maxawaytoolong 16y ago
Tradesmen provide their own tools if they are independently employed. If they are employed directly through a big firm, the firm often buys all their equipment for them, including a loaner truck and cell phone.

crander 16y ago

Tools for developers and designers is a big point. Especially with new hires. Ten years ago joining a major corporation gave you access to resources you didn't have on your own. Exchange was better than Yahoo mail. The T20 cost so much almost no one would buy it for personal use. Today when student graduate they are often used to and already own Mac laptops or high-end PCs and are using Google services. They can lose productivity going from these (cloud) consumer to enterprise technology systems. I recommend the Gartner report "Gartner_Report_BYOC_checklist.pdf" on BYOC.

sliverstorm 16y ago

Indeed, and if your job actually requires a high-end computer you're probably getting paid well enough to afford one.

gaius 16y ago
That's simply not true in graphic design, DTP, 3D modelling, etc.
joeguilmette 16y ago
Or in any job where mobility is desirable. A good laptop is not cheap.

sudont 16y ago

Most tradesmen have leeway in buying the tools that suit them best. This doesn't work in a corporation, as the amount of work IT would have to do to support every different computer that wanders in would be insane. Look at a college that has this laptop purchase program: students get a choice between Mac and a Dell laptop, and unless you're a fine-arts major you don't get the Mac option. More likely, employees would be forced to buy the one computer that IT specifies. And, knowing how much VB.NET code is running out there now, it'll end up being a top-of-the-line enterprise Dell laptop, crippled with XP and all of their network policies. Somebody who's forced to buy a laptop and then give all control away won't be a happy body.

gcheong 16y ago
I think IT often overestimates the actual extra burden that would be required to support more devices and the risks associated. At the last company I worked at there were calls for people to be publicly made "examples of" for running Firefox as it was deemed too much of a support burden to have to support both IE and Firefox and a security threat. Then they found out the CEO had installed it and their tone changed from calling for a witch hunt to a begrudged "you can run it but we won't support it".
- Natsu 16y ago
  If they're firing people for using Firefox, that's one thing. That's just absurd. But having people bring in their home computers that might be virus-infected or part of a botnet to work? Err, no. I've had more than one home computer brought to me to fix and I have never once let them on the network. I don't need to find out that the next Sasser/Blaster/whatever is now rampaging through our internal network. That's not to say that there aren't people and companies (likely small ones) that couldn't handle this. But unless each person was a pretty decent computer admin who was not likely to install crapware, kept themselves patched, etc., I wouldn't trust them at all. But, like I said, I've seen the home machines of the people at work and I've removed viruses from them. There's no way I'd put them on our network even though I don't think there's anything they could infect. It's just not smart.

maxawaytoolong 16y ago

Tradesmen provide their own tools if they are independently employed. If they are employed directly through a big firm, the firm often buys all their equipment for them, including a loaner truck and cell phone.