Has your organization developed a mobile device strategy yet?

Copier/MFP Dealer Principals, here's a information blog from Rick Backus our Guest Blogger for February! 

Unless you have been living in a cave for the past 12 months you should be keenly aware of the myriad of new portable devices that are redefining the way many of us communicate and work. While smartphones have been, to varying degrees, part of the enterprise for a number of years the real game-changer today is the larger, more functional tablet-based devices. So where do these new devices fit into your enterprise?

Apple, Android and Blackberry all have or will soon have a presence in this arena. Most of us are already familiar with Apple’s iPad which has been around for almost a year now and accounted for over 15 million new units in 2010. Entries using the Android, Blackberry and Windows operating systems are just beginning to come to market this year.

Most users who are not bound to their desk all day typically use email, Internet and productivity applications. These users are not your standard “Power Users” who need tremendously powerful systems to crunch data, churn through graphic and media files or develop applications. They use productivity suites to create documents and simple spreadsheets along with an email/calendar/contact client and web browser. The new generation of tablet-based devices is tailor made for this type of user.

A tablet device with both Wi-Fi and mobile (cellular) connectivity, properly integrated into the enterprise, will give users access to all the resources they need to be productive no matter where they are. Having the tools you need at your fingertips is crucial in this highly competitive, 24 hour world. Imagine your sales force not only getting paperwork signed by the client but having it immediately delivered back to the office for processing.

Reduced cost of ownership for hardware refresh is another motivation for migrating users to tablet devices. Initial acquisition and application costs can be substantially less than their notebook counter parts. Tablet devices include email clients but for those who want more functionality there are applications available that deliver extended graphics and features for very reasonable cost. Application suites for word processing, spreadsheet and presentation work are in the sub $100.00 range rather than the hundreds of dollar we have become accustomed to in the PC world. Of course for that price you get a bare bones application but that is right in line with these user’s requirements. There are literally tens of thousands of free and low cost applications out there for almost any task imaginable.

Once you make the decision to bring tablets into your enterprise the next step is to configure your infrastructure to allow the necessary access. Email, applications, security and network resources all must be configured to allow and accommodate the new level of connectivity. Not all resources can accommodate these devices. Be certain to carefully weigh the need for access versus the expense of any reconfiguration.

As a tool to improve your competitive advantage, the benefits of this new technology will far outweigh the effort necessary to employ it. If you would like to learn more or need assistance implementing these devices contact me at rick@cybercon1.com.

-=Good Selling=-