''Care must be taken'' when using UMDs to access social networks

Using ultra-mobile devices (UMDs) when at work to access social networking sites as a way of staying in touch with friends and family on the outside world should be approached with caution and managers ought to be aware of the risks.

According to Dan Shey, enterprise practice director at ABI Research - a market intelligence organisation - companies should exercise vigilance when it comes to the information that is contained on these gadgets.

He was commenting in response to recent research from information technology body Unisys, which found that 38 per cent of UK-based i-workers make use of handsets such as Blackberrys.

In spite of this prevalence, it was also seen that there are large gaps in the abilities of firms to offer effective support to employees in this regard, with staff members giving this a 1.5 out of five rating.

"Because UMDs are a mobile device and can be taken outside the premises of the business, businesses will need to be more cognisant of the information or data contained in these devices," Mr Shey observed. Back