SMBs in emerging economies are more likely to encourage the use of worker-owned technology, allowing employee smartphones, netbooks, and media tablets to be connected to company networks to run a host of different business applications, according to a survey by International Data Corporation (IDC).
It added that increased adoption and personal use of advanced technology is reaping profits for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) around the world as the consumerisation of IT continues to proliferate.
IDC Small and Medium Business Markets vice president Ray Boggs said to remain competitive and increase efficiency, SMBs in developing countries are leveraging workers’ own technologies.
"Despite the potential security risks, these SMBs continue to allow employees to gain access to the company network and related resources through their own devices," said Boggs.
The report found that SMBs in developed countries indicate higher levels of advanced technology use, from notebook PC to wireless networks, when compared to similarly sized organisations in developing countries.
Other findings from the survey are independent of region, medium-sized firms are more likely to provide employees with advanced mobile devices than are small businesses (SBs), SMBs in China are providing company-owned smartphones to employees most often and in developed countries, 33.7% of SBs and 46.7% of MBs said they provide access to the business network for employee-owned smartphones.
