Technology changes are often accompanied by fanfare, but in recent years at least one quiet technology revolution has been developing in the workplace. Individuals are adopting for work use the applications and devices they have learned to use in their personal lives. Applications previously accessed only on home computers, such as wikis and social networking sites, now appear on business PCs. Nearly every employee is now equipped with a personal mobile device and can become an online publisher with the help of blogs. As a result, employees are challenging the technology status quo in their organisation. Many are demanding “technology democracy” - greater freedom to use the information technology (IT) applications and devices of their choice in order to conduct their work more effectively.

Companies are not entirely ready for this development. But on a hopeful note, executives tend to see more opportunity than risk to their business from this development. Nonetheless, the use of new IT tools goes on at many firms without clear IT guidelines and proper training. In their absence, business risks are likely to increase for these firms.

This pressure from below on company management and the IT function will to continue to mount. Generation Y is populating the workforce in increasing numbers, and it will not be long before they begin advancing to middle management positions. Increasingly reliant on social media, messaging and other personal networking technologies to conduct their work, this generation will challenge the established modes of IT management in organisations.