The busy executive's mobile edge

Ask a government chief information officer to identify the biggest issues that his or her department faces, and one of the answers you'll likely hear is "the consumerization of technology."

That term refers to smart phones, BlackBerrys, and other portable computer and communications devices that most government executives and many employees now use during the workday. They are the same kinds of gadgets people buy on their own dime and use to stay in touch with family and friends, surf the Web, and access personal accounts and information from anywhere they can catch a whiff of a wireless signal.

And for some folks, their personal device is the same one they use for the occasional work task, or vice versa.

And that is precisely why this has become a big issue for CIOs. Although the devices offer unprecedented flexibility and opportunities for increasing productivity up and down the pay grade, they also present significant cost and security challenges that, until now, have largely sidestepped the information technology department's careful vetting of new technology.

In this special report, we take you through the opportunities and challenges mobile technology offers. You'll find:

A guide on how to find the best mobile devices to meet your needs.

Agency case studies and expert tips for minimizing the costs and security risks of mobile technologies.

A look at how one busy agency CIO uses her mobile devices to squeeze productivity out of every available minute.