Desktop Search

What it is: A free tool offered by Google, MSN, Yahoo and others that allows users to quickly search the contents of their hard drives. The latest version of Google Desktop can also be used to share files between computers. Users download the tool, which indexes everything on their hard drives in the same way that Google indexes the Web. The software can be set to return results on e-mail, text files, spreadsheets, photos, PDFs and more.

Business benefits: Desktop search can make work easier and increase productivity, especially for employees in industries such as biotechnology who need to find technical information quickly to do their jobs. Palo Alto Medical Foundation's Tang says that even though initially he had concerns about the security and privacy implications of desktop search, it can be a valuable tool if users know how to protect their information.

Tang and other CIOs see desktop search applications growing in popularity, and they are putting together policies to determine when these tools can be used. Chris Holbert, CIO at Launchpad Communications, which operates an inbound sales call centre in Los Angeles, says he currently sees no business need for desktop search. However, Holbert worked for seven years as head of IT at a biotech firm, where researchers made frequent use of a customized desktop search tool. Even some CIOs who currently ban desktop search applications say they are preparing for the day when they might have to change their position. "Desktop search seems to have a lot of momentum and we won't be able to ignore it," says James Kritcher, VP of IT at White Electronic Designs.

The risks: Company data may be exposed inadvertently. Once the tool is installed and files are indexed, a snoop can theoretically search someone's hard drive for information. At PAMF, Tang went out of his way to help users understand how to make sure that sensitive data doesn't get indexed, but freewheeling users may not always pay attention. Google's desktop search software also has a feature that lets users search for content on multiple computers. The "search across computers" feature stores copies of PDFs, Word files, spreadsheets and other documents on Google servers. In theory, Kritcher points out, storing documents even temporarily on an external server could expose a company to litigation for violating its privacy, security or document retention policies.

Handheld Devices

What they are: Pagers, mobile phones, iPods and PDAs have been around long enough that plenty of companies sanction them for everyday work (think BlackBerry). The devices are becoming so entrenched in daily life that lots of people (including you, probably) bring their own devices from home too.

Business benefits: While at many companies handheld devices are disdained as providing little more than a distraction during meetings, early adopters of the technology on an enterprise scale use them for more than idle chat or diversion. A doctor in Geneva, for example, has reportedly devised a software program that allows physicians to view medical images on their iPods.

At Mintz Levin, IS director Pretorius is testing a proposal from an associate suggesting that the firm build a podcast library of attorneys' legal presentations. Some managers at the PAMF use PDAs to read e-mail that is not patient-related, look up information about drugs and check medical protocols.

The risks: Mobile phones and PDAs are usually not password protected; therefore, companies risk compromising corporate data if it is downloaded onto the devices. The same goes for iPods, which can be used as backup storage devices. Data security standards set by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council could prohibit most pagers and mobile phones from being used in offices where information about cardholders is known by employees, such as in call centres or at e-commerce sites.