The demands being placed on IT support departments are changing as more employees use their own computers and mobiles for work, a new study reveals.

A growing consumer use of previously expensive business tools like laptops and portable email devices is resulting in a wholesale shift in the approach IT support teams need to take, according to Unisys.

Instead of IT departments being able to set guidelines on which devices are used and protect their business through a single security approach, IT support is now being required to be more flexible and reactive to the needs of individual employees.

The study also notes that the staff most likely to work remotely and use different devices are those interacting with and selling to consumers, making them a high business priority.

"The proliferation of consumer and other mobile devices in the enterprise poses a special challenge to IT organisations," said Joe Hogan, a vice president at Unisys.

"They must invest in new processes that help client-facing employees exploit the technology for greater productivity and new revenue channels," he added.