Like many corporations, KLM found itself in a consumer-tech Catch-22. Tech-handy employees wanted to use their own gear and software at work--a tendency that can compromise network security. But the encroachment of consumer tech in the workplace can also foster innovation and productivity.
So rather than fight the trend, KLM Chief Information Officer Boet Kreiken spearheaded a program called IT4ME to explore how the airline could benefit from consumer technology without compromising security by giving employees more responsibility for the products they use. The outside products that KLM often finds competing with its corporate systems include cell phones and laptops.
Kreiken's proposition is unconventional. He's had to do some convincing of naysayers. But if his program works, the experimentation could provide a blueprint for other big corporations wrestling with how to combine outside tech with internal systems.
Source: Business Week, http://businessweek.com