Tablets are becoming increasingly more necessary in the workplace, and device manufacturers are clearly taking notice. With the introduction of both the Microsoft Surface and Apple’s iPad Pro, tablets are no longer simply convenient devices that allow consumers to read books during their commute to work in the morning. They have evolved into critical business tools for an increasingly mobile workforce.
Today’s tablets are more robust, powerful, and business-oriented. More and more businesses are taking advantage of these new enterprise tablets, and implementing them into their employees’ workflow. Since you’re reading our blog today, you’re probably considering tablet implementation as well, but before you go ordering a hundreds or thousands or tablets for your mobile workforce, here are a few things you should consider.
1. Are these tablets secure?
Data security is, without a doubt, the most important consideration for any IT professional looking to implement enterprise tablets across their organization. Information is definitely more secure when devices remain at the office, but nowadays employees are often sent out of the office for work.
Despite the inherent security risks associated with tablets, enterprise-level tablets, like Apple’s iPad Pro, are designed with enhanced security features. For example, most enterprise-level tablets include a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), which is a specialized chip that embeds security features like drive encryption and password protection into the computer’s hardware – instead of just its software. Many also have fingerprint scanners, which the user must pass through to gain access to both the entire tablet and the tablet’s individual apps.
With the right security features, enterprise tablets can be just as safe and secure as your office’s desktop computers or PC’s. However, you should be wary of your employees’ compliance with security policies. If you have a BYOD policy, be sure to lay down very clear rules and regulations during your tablet implementation.
2. Will these tablets boost worker productivity?
Tablets are becoming more and more powerful. In fact, some people believe that they will eventually replace desktop computers entirely. Until then, you’ll have to choose wisely if you want your workers to have a productive experience with their tablets in the field..
Some tablets, like Samsung Galaxy Tabs or Apple iPad Minis, are more consumer-focused and not necessarily built for business usage. These tablets are wonderful for entertainment purposes–you can stream movies and read books on them with no trouble at all. However, from a professional standpoint they’re somewhat limited. For optimal productivity, your employees will need robust features and apps built for business usage. For example, Apple’s iPad Pro includes a 64-bit A9X chip processor (which is rivals the speed of high-end laptops), has multi-tasking features for maximum productivity, and comes equipped with a matching smart keyboard.
3. Will my employees find tablets useful?
Tablets aren’t suitable for every employee. For example, many existing tablets aren’t powerful enough for software developers or market traders. Additionally some employees (oftentimes older employees) will have trouble adapting to new mobile technologies, and will be more resistant as tablets are rolled out across an enterprise.
Nevertheless, tablets still definitely have their core use cases in the workplace. Sales and marketing staff will find tablets helpful in particular–they can store sales and marketing tools and collateral on their devices for use during presentations and off-site sales calls. Designers may also prefer to use enterprise tablets to create images, advertisements, and web designs. Field service workers can almost always benefit from rugged laptops or tablets, oftentimes using productivity-boosting enterprise apps like ServiceMax to improve customer service and boost productivity.
Regardless of the tablets you choose for your employees, one thing is clear—on-the-go employees are going to need mobile data, otherwise their tablets are much less useful. DataXoom is an Enterprise MVNO that provides mobile data solutions designed exclusively for businesses, with affordable pricing options, no long-term contracts, and no early termination fees. Interested in how DataXoom can meet your mobile data needs? Drop us a note at sales@dataxoom.com or visit us at www.dataxoom.com.
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