Can a single App please users and IT?

We bring consumer applications to the work environment everyday. It happens mostly because we use one single smartphone where we have all our apps installed. But not only. There are other reasons why we like to use them at work even though they might not be suited for it (think security, control, company policies, etc). Amongst them, collaboration apps are the most frequent. We use them to check if others are available, to quickly say something or to share content.

However, if I look at some of the features consumer apps have versus the more “corporate” ones, it’s like trying to mix water and oil.

• Consumer apps: user friendly interface, no training required, free, used by others we care about, convenient, quickly updated and evolved, allow for own customisation, allow for user own control.
• Enterprise apps: more secure, allow being controlled and configured by IT, integrate with other enterprise apps, have a view of all corporate users, comply with company policies.

It’s also important to note that we’re different individuals at work than outside. We behave differently. We have different needs too.

With all this, can we think of an app that combines both requirements? Does it exist today? Will it ever?

Maybe the key is that the apps become smarter as to notice when we’re acting as the corporate version of ourselves and when we’re just a consumer?