Lockdown

My job has some pretty strict security policies, and they have decided to really crack down on everyone, to make sure that we are in compliance. It should be a good thing, and it is important, but some things go a bit far. They are taking away Google Earth. We tend to use it a lot for seeing what kind of imagery is available, and for the nice 3D terrain. We have a couple of pro licenses, which we keep, but the free ones are out. ITunes is also out,as well as any other program not bought by corporate. They promised tighter internet filters, to make sure that no one can use the internet. Some people said that they would be looking for new jobs because the policies will be so strict.

People like to listen to music, and there are a lot of people that use free programs to get work done. It has always been possible in the past to install trial versions of software to see if it will do what we need. Now we need to have the IT group investigate it first, then install it if they see it as necessary. Many times we realize there is something to improve the process near the end, and we don't have time for this bureaucracy.

URS is still fairly young as a large company, and it has remained fairly agile, but with all the lock downs, they will become less able to deal with new technology in a timely manner, and this will make them less competitive in the long run. I suppose that it happens to most large companies, it seems almost inevitable.