The increased use of mobile devices is making it harder for companies to stop employees using illegal or counterfeit software, according to research.
A survey of 500 UK business managers, by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), reveals that 55% of respondents believe mobile and remote working is making it increasingly tricky for them to see what their staff are loading onto laptops and mobile devices. However, 67% of respondents were not concerned about the potential problem.
The BSA, which protects software copyright and is funded by technology firms such as Microsoft and Adobe, said the survey findings showed that firms could open themselves up to legal action by letting staff use unauthorised software.
IT management policies and processes that companies enforce within the office environment may not be applicable to staff working remotely or on the move, the Alliance warned.
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Siobhan Carroll, BSA regional manager, said: “Organisations need to keep a tight reign on exactly what their staff are putting onto their mobile devices. This research suggests UK managers have a dangerously lax attitude to the downloading of illegal software on company devices.”
Analyst firm IDC has predicted that the number of mobile workers in the UK will rise to 15.4 million in 2005, representing just over 50% of the entire UK workforce.
