Coalition to Put End Users First and Change IT

If something has its own web site, it must be real. Right?

CEOs from Box, GoodData, Jive, Marketo, Okta, Skyhigh Networks, and Zendesk, and other technology leaders, are putting forth the notion that putting the end-user experience first, makes for a better, more agile business. User-centric IT, consumerization of IT – whatever you want to call it – is a prospect to bring IT more in line with what the business consumer wants and what the end-user population believe they need to perform their jobs. The vendor companies have banded together to promote User-Centric IT in a way that attempts to make IT more aware of the situation and hopefully bring them into the fold.

There is value here. I talked yesterday to the sneaky ways in which Microsoft is crossing enemy lines to supply Shadow IT in hopes of turning covert activity into revenue, but Microsoft is only a single company among many with this same intent.

Many IT Pros have fought consumerization because they believe that a world where consumers dictate business technology means a loss of control and the potential for security disaster. And, while that could potentially come true, isn't it also IT's job to minimize disaster anyway? When technology fails, it'll still be IT's job to amass a cleanup crew even if the technologies being utilized were not policy sanctioned. So, why not jump to the front and lead instead? Instead of dismissing emerging technologies as just consumer-based fodder without any business value, jump in and determine why end-users are flocking toward them. At the end of the day, no matter what consumer-like brand the end-users decide to secretly use, IT will still have to support it. And, usually not until something goes seriously wrong.

The User-Centric IT coalition seems to be attempting to take a completely different tact in promoting consumerization of IT. Yes, if you look at the companies currently involved, they all stand to gain if User-Centric IT is adopted. There's not a single company in the group that isn't promoting some form of Cloud product. But, the message makes sense. Starting now to evolve IT and put the end-user first will rebuild a trusted environment where you no longer have to shine a bright light to uncover those Shadow IT ninjas, they'll just be open and tell you about it.

There's some value in it. Check out the freshly christened web site:  http://usercentricit.com/

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