VMware infographic

MANILA, Philippines - Do you use your smartphone, tablet or laptop at the office? If you answered yes, then you're probably one of the growing number of Filipinos who are part of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) to work movement.

According to the VMware New Way of Life study, the BYOD movement has been picking up momentum in the Philippines. BYOD refers to the policy of allowing employees to bring their own mobile devices to the workplace.

Around 81% of the Filipino respondents said they own two or more personal devices, while 85% of the respondents bring their own devices to the office.

What are the benefits to allowing Filipino employees to use their own devices for work? The majority said they are more efficient working out of the office (80%); faster to respond to change (74%); and more importantly, less stressed (74%) and happier (73%).

While 93% say their IT department is aware they bring their own devices to work, a dismal number 32% receive IT support to work on those devices.

But despite the lack of corporate IT support, 41% of respondents say they will continue to use their own devices.

If they experience problems with their devices, 60% say they will troubleshoot issues on their own. One in two (52%) go on search engines such as Google to find ways to integrate their devices into their workplace.

"The undeniable call to action for companies in the Philippines is to adapt to the personal needs of our young workforce by modernizing IT policies to enable the next generation mobile worker without compromising risk, security and/or compliance to the organization," said Emmanuel Portugal, VMware country manager.

Young employees drive change

VMware, a global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, and Acorn Research conducted the New Way of Life study to look into the work and lifestyle habits of 2,100 people in 12 countries in Asia-Pacific, including 150 in the Philippines.

The study found that young employees, mostly "millenials" or under the age of 34, are changing the patterns of technology use in the workplace.

"We are experiencing a technology revolution that is being dictated by the demands of an increasingly young, connected, and vibrant Philippines society. This new way of life holds positive productivity implications for employers that adopt more flexible IT policies, but also brings with it very real concerns around ensuring corporate data security and compliance as well," said Portugal.

The VMware study also discovered that for Filipinos, using their own technology at work is related to employee satisfaction.

Around 75% of employees say they value technological mobility. When allowed to use their devices at work, 7 in 10 respondents say they are happier in their role (73%) and believe such companies are more progressive and dynamic (71%).

The study noted that 31% would consider leaving their jobs due to poor IT policies.

"The floods that swept the Philippines last year are a great example of why it is important to empower employees to work flexibly in their own time, anywhere and from any device. By taking advantage of virtualization and cloud computing to modernize their IT policies, companies can effectively manage employee access to corporate applications and data whilst ensuring that sensitive information is kept confidential,” said Portugal.

VMware recently unveiled the VMware Horizon Suite, a comprehensive platform for workforce mobility.  The suite simplifies end-user computing and empowers workforce mobility that connects end-users to their data, applications and desktops on any device without sacrificing IT security and control.