Thais Bringing their Own Technology to Work to Increase Job Satisfaction, Stay Productive and Increase Efficiency

Work-style preferences of an always-on generation of employees calls for organizations to support the mobile worker

BANGKOK, 22 February 2013 — VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, today announced the results of the VMware New Way of Life 2013 study which reveals that that the trend of using personal devices and mobility in Thailand are growing.

From the study, 83% of Thais bring their own devices and use their choice of technology to work, and 76% say it makes them more efficient, even when working outside of the office (78%).   

In a discovery of how this trend has impacted the personal lives of Thais, 65% of end users who responded to the study say they spend time working during holidays.  Of those, 92% use their own personal devices to get their job done while on vacation

The study was commissioned by VMware and conducted by Acorn Research in 12 Asia-Pacific countries/regions. 2,100 people were surveyed in total, and 150 respondents were from Thailand.

“Based on the data from across the region, we have retitled last year’s study from the ‘New Way of Work’ to the ‘New Way of Life’ to highlight the evolving work-style and lifestyle demands of employees in a Post PC era”, said Dr. Chawapol Jariyawiroj, country manager, VMware Thailand and IndoChina. “The results present a strong call to action for companies to adopt the technologies that enable a flexible IT policy, enhance employee productivity and attract talent – all whilst maintaining the security of corporate data as well”. 

Strict IT Policies A Barrier to Productivity

The New Way of Life study reveals that one in two Thai respondents (52%) value technological mobility in their role. The most common reason cited for choosing to use their own personal device to accomplish their work was because it is set up just the way they like them to be.

Consequently, employees say they are more efficient in completing their tasks (76%) even when out of the office (78%) when empowered to use their own devices to accomplish their work. The penetration of personally-owned smartphones (89%) has also surpassed laptops (62%), with over seven in ten (75%) respondents owning more than one personal device.

In spite of these preferences, one in three respondents (34%) say they do not have access to IT support to use these devices effectively in the workplace. In fact, 87% say their companies have strict IT policies that prevent them from connecting their personal portable device to the corporate network

“Thai workers are taking mobility matters into their own hands and using their own technology to increase work efficiency and job satisfaction levels,” said Dr. Jariyawiroj.  “From an IT point of view, there is more that can be done to support Thai workers and align IT projects with the business by giving them access to the systems that they need to be flexible.”

IT Struggling to Catch-up with Employees

Acknowledging their employers’ concerns, respondents say key reasons for strict IT policies within their organizations include protection against computer viruses (73%) and the company’s interest/security (70%).

As a result, 28% of Thai employees said dealing with IT issues in the workplace is stressful and they find their own workarounds (69%), or turn to Google for answers (57%) on how to better integrate their personal devices into corporate IT infrastructures.

“I speak to CIOs and IT decision makers daily who say managing the challenges that arise from the influx of personal devices into the workplace can no longer be neglected. VMware is delivering the cloud solutions to empower organizations and IT to meet end-user demands in this new way of life,” added Dr. Jariyawiroj.

Greater Flexibility a Source of Employee Satisfaction and Retention

The 2013 study also continues to identify a strong link between IT freedom and job satisfaction. In fact, 81% of Thais say they prefer to work for a company that is open to their choice of software and devices, and seven in 10 respondents deem such employers to be more progressive and dynamic.

“Today’s millennial generation of mobile workers increasingly expect the flexibility to work in their own time, anywhere and from any device. We have also experienced instances when employees simply cannot get to the office, such as periods of flooding and unrest. If companies can enable employees to be more productive during this time by provisioning the applications they need to do their work on their choice of personal device, imagine the positive impact it could have on the bottom-line as well as talent attraction and retention,” said Dr. Jariyawiroj.

In a separate announcement today, VMware unveiled the VMware Horizon™ Suite, designed to be the industry’s most comprehensive platform for workforce mobility.  The suite, consisting of VMware Horizon Workspace™, VMware Horizon View™ and VMware Horizon Mirage™ promises to simplify 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.

# # # www.vmware.com/go/ap/NewWayOfLife

About the VMware New Way of Life 2013 Study

VMware began an annual “New Way” consumer study to identify trends around end-user computing.  In 2012, the study was called the “New Way of Work” and BYOD was found to be a growing phenomenon in Asia Pacific. In 2013, the “New Way of Life” study examines the evolving work-style and lifestyle preferences of modern employees in a Post PC era, and the impact of IT policies and technologies on personal productivity and job satisfaction. A summary report can be downloaded at www.vmware.com/go/ap/NewWayOfLife .

The VMware New Way of Life 2013 study was commissioned by VMware and conducted by Acorn Marketing & Research Consultants. Approximately 2,100 people between the ages of 18-64 participated in the survey. All participants work in organizations with more than 1,000 staff globally, and for at least 15 hours or more a week. The survey was conducted in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. Indonesia and Philippines were added to the VMware study in 2013.

About VMware

VMware is the leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure solutions that enable businesses to thrive in the Cloud Era. Customers rely on VMware to help them transform the way they build, deliver and consume Information Technology resources in a manner that is evolutionary and based on their specific needs. With 2012 revenues of $4.61 billion, VMware has more than 480,000 customers and 55,000 partners. The company is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the world and can be found online at www.vmware.com/ap .

VMware, VMware Horizon Suite, Horizon Workspace and Horizon Mirage are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective organizations. The use of the word “partner” or “partnership” does not imply a legal partnership relationship between VMware and any other company.

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Appendix – Summary of VMware New Way of Life 2013 Study Findings for Thailand

• The penetration of personally-owned smartphone (89%) has surpassed laptops (62%).  Over seven in ten (75%) surveyed employees own more than one personal portable device.
• Vast majority of respondents (99%) bring their own personal devices to work for reasons including increased job satisfaction (83%), productivity even when out of the office (78%), greater efficiency (76%), and to accomplish what is required of them (76%). 
• While 69% of companies are aware of this trend, more than one-third (34%) fail to provide any IT support to the employees.  In situations where IT support is not provided, 69% of employees will use their own ways to resolve the issues.   
• Almost seven in ten (65%) employees spend time working during the holidays. Of them, the majority (92%) use their personal devices to get their job done.
• Eight in ten respondents (81%) prefer to work for a company that offers greater technological freedom,  
• The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend has become increasingly popular in Thailand.    The challenge for IT support teams is now to provide a platform that integrates these personal devices in the workplace to enable employees to enjoy greater flexibility and efficiency, whilst providing the necessary protection for sensitive company data.