Instead of buying computers for every desk, laying networks, and having to manage and maintain this entire infrastructure (often at costs of up to $400 per PC per annum), companies could just give each employee a PC allowance. The employee is then expected to buy and maintain his/her PC and sign up with his own Internet carrier. The Internet thus becomes the de facto company LAN. To address security concerns the employee could be required to download the latest company system image which could automatically encrypt internal documents and communication, and offer the necessary virus and other protections.
This way, both parties score. Companies could dramatically reduce their cost structure, while employees will receive a new PC every 3 to 4 years for their extra effort. By having private vendors compete for connectivity at the office, the system should also be much more robust than current monolithic network infrastructures.
Of course, this is not intended to replace the entire infrastructure (that would not be always feasible). However, if large companies could get rid of the problems in maintaining just their desk-PC infrastructures, the savings should be remarkable.
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Its those (usually senior) who bring in their own software that need a lot of support in large companies.Having everyone buy their own PC is a nightmare for computer depts. Its just not credible that you would fire someone who got himself in a computer mess, rather than sending someone to help him/her.
You'd be using who knows what software over who know whose network to handle your companies private data, not to mention either supporting a wide variety of OS and/system/Network configurations, not to mention outside support personeel coming into your enviroment to deal with their customers problems, or your employees tying up the outside infrastucturefor a variety of network providers, and support calls.
Yes, but how would you address the productivity problem shen an employee ships the computer off to BestBuy or Dell or whatever for a week or more of repairs? Also, is it wise to trust potentially sensitive documents traveling on the internet, even if they were encrypted?
What about internet costs? Basic dial-up is at least $10/month, for $120/yr, and prices go up from there. This would leave less than $300 to buy and maintain a computer. What kind of computer can you get for this kind of money?
If it is ok for everyone in the company to have a useless paperweight on their desks with very slow internet then this is fine.