Survey: CDW Says Mobile Computing is “New Normal” for Federal Employees 
BYOD is becoming the new normal for government workers. More than half of federal employees use at least one mobile device at work, according to the Federal Mobility Report by CDW Government LLC. Further, an off-the-charts 99% of Federal IT workers said they had deployed a mobile project in their agency.
More than half of federal employees use at least one mobile device at work, and many use their personal devices to accomplish work-related tasks, according to the Federal Mobility Report by CDW Government LLC (CDW-G).
The CDW report examines current trends in mobility, how agency IT professionals are managing mobile devices, and what they’re doing to secure federal data.
The survey also found an off-the-charts 99% of those identifying themselves as “Federal IT professionals” reported deploying mobile devices to employees in their government agency. Additionally, 62% of those IT professionals said their agencies allow employees to use their personal devices for work, according to the survey.
“Mobility is the ‘new normal’ for federal employees,” said Bob Kirby, vice president of federal government for CDW-G, in a statement. “Employees increasingly expect to be able to work anywhere and at any time. Agencies responded first by deploying mobile devices, and now they are enabling use of personal devices.”
Nearly all federal employees who use mobile devices for work believe the devices make them more productive. In addition, most said access to better mobility will help them deliver better customer service to citizens, according to the report. The CDW research surveyed 414 federal employees and IT staff.
Kirby expects the BYOD (bring your own device) trend to continue, particularly since the Obama administration issued an executive order in November, asking agencies to limit the number of IT devices, including mobile devices, they issue to employees so they can save money.
According to the survey, many agencies surveyed are doing what’s necessary to ensure the devices are secure. And 85% of the agencies have mobile data security policies in place, while 84% require that their users receive data security training for mobile device users. However, agencies can do more to improve their security measures in order to protect sensitive data, according to the CDW-G survey.
