Mobile Workforces Move to Rugged Tablets for Enterprise Computing
In today’s crowded technological marketplace, evaluating enterprise computing solutions can be an arduous task. With device hardware ever evolving, organizations must assess their business needs and identify a computing solution that will allow their workers to maintain optimum productivity even while on the move. Business efficiency starts from the ground up, and enterprises that seek to increase productivity and invest in a mobile computing solution for their workforce should look towards rugged tablets for their mission-critical business applications.
In a report by Technology Business Research, Inc. sponsored by Panasonic, 230 IT decision makers were surveyed and 16 participated in a three-day focus group to share their insights into the tablet marketplace. These IT decision makers rated security, battery life and durability at the top of their lists of concerns regarding tablets in their organizations, yet these were the three areas in which respondents were the least satisfied.
While 70% of survey respondents cited security as the most important factor when considering tablets for their businesses, they reported being disappointed by the security of the iOS and Android-based tablets they were using. Main concerns included a lack of operating system and application controls and limited tools for software upgrades. In order to address these problems, it is important that IT decision makers confirm that their hardware choices allow for a more unified mobile device management (MDM) solution, as well as the ability to manage devices remotely, allowing for global monitoring of selected devices.
Another important factor is battery life. Long battery life, a feature that 65% of the survey respondents stated was an important part of their purchase decision, enables continued productivity from mobile workers. Yet the consumer-grade tablets many respondents have been using not only lack long battery lives, but they also lack removable batteries – meaning that if the battery fails, the whole device must be repaired or replaced. Opting for a user-removable battery ensures extended battery life and gives users the option to switch out the battery in the field should the need arise.
Although the study found that there has been an increased confidence in tablets as a business tool, 53% of survey respondents still rate durability as a concern. A tablet that is highly reliable provides employees with access to business-critical applications for a greater period of time, boosting employee productivity and enabling an enterprise to meet its strategic and revenue objectives. As budgets tighten, greater importance is placed on value and ROI. Choosing a tablet that is durable enough to withstand the elements that mobile workers experience on a daily basis is an investment not only in a specific technology, but in the workforce that the devices will support.
Without a certain set of capabilities available on mobile devices, businesses are hindered from taking advantage of all the benefits that mobility can offer. A robust, protected platform streamlines network operations and provides the technology for mobile workers to work efficiently and with the confidence being supported by a durable device.
Today, not everyone spends their workweek sitting in a cubicle. Changing the definition of what features and functions people expect in a tablet has made it possible for businesses to expand the concept of the workplace.
To learn more about Panasonic’s rugged tablets for the enterprise, visit http://www.toughpad.com.
Click here to download the Technology Business Research report on the Panasonic Toughpad line.
