The Leading Edge - Fall 2010 - PKF - 18

BRIEFS

TECH USE INCREASES, RISKS BEING NEGLECTED
A recent IDG Research Services survey of nearly 400 security and IT decision makers reveals a rise in the adoption of consumer technologies and uncovers the growing role end users are playing in accelerating this trend. The research also underscores how unprepared many organizations are to manage the risks associated with this new reality. Key findings include the following: • 76 percent of security and IT leaders believe users have increasing influence on the purchase of devices and applications within the enterprise. • Just over one-quarter of the respondents report their companies currently allow employees to use their own personal computers or mobile devices for work purposes. • Though most companies have policies to prevent or limit connection of personal devices to the corporate network, nearly 60 percent of respondents said that unauthorized connections to the corporate network still occur. Some 23 percent of the largest organizations surveyed have experienced a serious breach or incident because of a personal device on the corporate network. • More than 80 percent of companies now allow some form of access to social networking sites. Of those companies, 62 percent are already using it as a vehicle for external communication with customers and partners. • The trend to enable users more access to consumer technologies is viewed in a positive light by most respondents. As many as 63 percent believe that using devices such as netbooks, tablets, smart phones and social media would increase productivity. • Many companies are not fully prepared to confront this trend from a security standpoint. Only 11 percent say they feel very confident that they have the right level of security in place to accommodate increased access to consumer devices and applications. • Just 22 percent of companies surveyed thoroughly calculate the risks associated with consumer technologies and applications before users begin using them for business purposes, 38 percent assess the risks in some cases, but have gaps in their strategies and up to 40 percent of those surveyed don’t calculate the risks at all. e

TABLETS’ DISPLAY TO GET BETTER
Researchers are pursuing an alternative approach to e-reader and tablet displays—with a potential for higher resolution and faster image display. Several e-reader products on the market today use electrophoretic displays, in which each pixel consists of microscopic capsules that contain black and white particles moving in opposite directions under the influence of an electric field. A serious drawback to this technology is that the screen image is closer to black-on-gray than black-on-white. Also, the slow switching speed (about 1 second) due to the limited velocity of the particles prevents integration of other highly desirable features such as touch commands, animation and video. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati Nanoelectronics Laboratory are actively pursuing an alternative approach for low-power displays. Their assessment of the future of display technologies appears in the American Institute of Physics’ Applied Physics Letters. “Our approach is based on the concept of vertically stacking electrowetting devices,” explains professor Andrew J. Steckl, director of the NanoLab at UC’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. What does all of this mean for the consumer? Essentially, tablets and e-readers are about to become capable of even more and look even better doing it. Compared to other technologies, electrowetting reflective display screens boast many advantages. The electrowetting displays are very thin, have a switching speed capable of video display, a wide viewing angle and, just as important, Steckl says, they aren’t power hogs. e
VOLUME 11 • ISSUE 1 • FALL 2010

FINANCIAL EXECS MORE CONFIDENT
Financial executives are more optimistic today than they were this time last year, reports an annual study. The majority (83 percent) of financial leaders surveyed worldwide are at least somewhat confident in their companies’ growth prospects, with 30 percent who are very confident. The Robert Half Global Financial Employment Monitor analysis also found that companies were facing challenges locating skilled professionals for certain jobs. But while a healthier business environment and rising recruiting difficulties suggest the job market in accounting and finance may be improving, companies today seem less concerned about keeping top performers than they were one year ago. Forty-five percent of those surveyed said they are at least somewhat worried about their ability to retain staff in the coming year, down from 53 percent in 2009. The survey is based on surveys conducted by independent research firms. It includes responses from more than 6,300 financial leaders across 19 countries. e

The Leading Edge - Fall 2010 - PKF

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