I'm assuming most people who read this blog don't live with their parents. Meaning, you've purchased or rented a home/apartment/boat or something. When you shop for one of those, there are "hard" factors - # of bedrooms/bathrooms, size/shape of the layout, amenities, and so on. There are also "softer" characteristics.
Something along the lines of the "feel" of the place, or the neighborhood. If asked, maybe you could mention some hard factors that impact the feel - the lobby was dingy, or the doorman didn't make eye-contact. But, it's more than that. Imagine a fresh coat of paint in the lobby and a doorman with a smile. There'd still be something.
It's the way we take in information.
By the way, it's the same thing with dating. Ever meet that person who was "great on paper" but, still, you just didn't feel it?
This is the unnoticed problem with consumerization of IT. Because, just like the building manager who could clean up the lobby and tell his employees to smile, he'd still have a building with a bad feel.
In my opinion, that feel is the result of an aggregate of issues that individually are small, but add up to more than that collection of the issues themselves.
Some companies are starting, as a result of their falling behind consumers, to have a bad feel about them. Especially from the perspective of their target consumers/employees.
Companies are falling behind the consumerization curve, and it's not good.
IDC just published a study on the topic of consumerization. They make 3 key points:
1. Consumerization is driven by users
2. IT is not, for the most part, embracing the trend
3. Consumerization is accelerating
On the surface, they're talking about using iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. Consumers have access to these devices, and many companies don't. I worked at a bank for a short time, and we didn't even have laptops! Honest to god, I couldn't figure out how to change my personal work-flow to be in one place with my computer to get my job done. I need to communicate with people, and that means going to them... and my computer is a tool to communicate. It's inseparable.
However, consumerization is more than about some flashy devices, or the convenience of carrying one device instead of two. That's like saying you buy/rent the biggest apartment, or the one with the most bedrooms. You don't. You pick your new home because it's the one that meets your requirements and feels best.
Every marketing person knows this. I recently bought an engagement ring (yes, congratulations) and there were tons of gorgeous rings in my price range. We bought the one where buying it was a great experience.
What am I getting at? Here it is...
Consumerization is about the feel of a company's infrastructure. Technology should be invisible. It's woven into our lives these days, and companies who look like they've not left the 80's are going to look just as silly as someone walking around with a mullet today.
The trend to rapidly develop good-enough solutions using internet-accessible API's has set the baseline. Most people don't realize they're "good enough". So, for example, when you have to sign in 10 times within your company's firewall to access all your applications... people are going to ask, why not just use Facebook, or Google, or Twitter. They've all solved the problem for their communities?
Companies infrastructure are not only missing key features... they feel like they're stuck in the 80's. And, that's bad for companies trying to win the best projects or attract the best people.
Would you do business with a guy in a mullet?
Would you date a guy (or girl?) with a mullet?
Would you go work for a guy with a mullet?
Maybe, if their "stuff" were so compelling. But, you know it's extremely competitive out there today - on every front. It's competitive to hire the best employees, to win the best projects, and to stand out from the mess of options we're all bombarded with daily.
Knowing this, why are you showing up in a mullet?
Companies need to figure out how to use API's, while incorporating as much of their enterprise class requirements (that most users don't understand) as they go. They've got to figure out how to minimize risks, and recognize they won't ever eliminate them. Then, they need to work with employees to meet them part-way. Deliver some of what they're asking for, and at the same time educate people about the risks and limits companies face that are different than "internet API startups". You'll find the dialog will benefit you and your company in more ways than you could imagine.