Many CIOs are on the fence when it comes to Shadow ITers. Whether you feel shadow IT is lurking in the shadows or coming out of the shadows, end users have more direct ability to leverage IT resources to meet their immediate needs than they have ever had before. Ennio Carboni, President and GM for the Network & IT Management Division at Ipswitch has direct experience with the phenomenon and offers his perspective on shadow IT and how to make the best of it.
"There's definitely a positive spin to Shadow ITers - your employees are taking initiative and doing whatever it takes to be more productive, effective, and get their jobs done. Who wouldn't want that? Unfortunately, this does present a host of issues for IT, including a lack of control and visibility into a user's system, which can be become [sic] an issue particularly when it comes to troubleshooting or monitoring. It also means that users aren't utilizing the resources provided by IT for similar tasks, which likely represents a large investment in a well-vetted technology. Perhaps most troubling, however, is how it can impact compliance in highly regulated issues and may result in costly fines.
"To best support the positive aspects of this trend, you have to turn the lights on Shadow IT, of sorts. You have to let users know what they can and can't use instead of just prohibiting 'all downloads.' That type of lack of communication is what gives IT the 'bad guys' reputation.
"We need to embrace the essence of Shadow IT but be proactive in limiting its impact. IT teams can be a positive force for standardization by listening to their users and their needs, while also clearly identifying which specific applications that should never, ever be installed (prioritizing those apps that are the most prone to malware or suck up wireless bandwidth).
"You also can monitor the network to make sure they don't get installed and also monitor for rogue devices so you can see who is accessing what, when and via what device, to help identify who might be causing potential issues.
"In the end, by embracing what Shadow-ITers are downloading without permission and seeing where IT can help them do their jobs better, you're shedding light on most of the potential problems that come from Shadow IT. By being more upfront about policies and communicating potential risks of using unauthorized apps, you're empowering the user to be part of the solution - and you'll likely end up with happier, and more productive, employees."
What do you think of Shadow ITers? Do you agree with Carboni? Why?
Scott Koegler is the community manager for Enterprising CIO. He practiced IT as a CIO for 15 years. He also has more than 20 years experience as a technology journalist covering topics ranging from software and services through business strategy. He has written white papers and directed and published video interviews.
