Mobility in the workplace is growing exponentially all around the world. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Companies continue to expand their mobile workforces, as increasingly capable and affordable technology becomes available in the form of high performance handheld devices connected to faster and more reliable wireless networks,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d states industry analyst J. Gold Associates. According to VDC Research, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The global mobile workforce is comprised of 200 million knowledge workers and over 500 million task workers.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
What does this business mobility look like? \u00e2\u20ac\u0153More and more types of workers are working away from the home office,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Sheldon Safir, director of marketing at Motorola<\/a>, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153and the whole reason is to increase productivity.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Field sales forces and workforces can be away from the office for weeks at a time. But mobility is about more than simply being out of the office. More workers and managers are also getting out from behind their desks and working where they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re most needed. Retail sales associates are helping customers in multiple departments throughout the store. Warehouse workers are constantly on the move around indoor spaces larger than multiple football fields. And there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one thing these and other mobile workers have in common.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Every mobile worker needs to be able to communicate quickly and effectively from wherever they are. What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s making that happen? Wireless networks, mobile computers<\/a> and advanced wireless devices. Today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s high-speed networks enable mobile workers to speak with one another in real-time on mobile phones and other devices.<\/p>\n But work communications are different than personal communications. For one thing, workers need to speak with other workers who may be using a variety of wireless devices\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfrom laptops and tablet computers<\/a> to two-way radios<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat use a variety of technologies. In addition, their communications must be transmitted securely to help guard against cyber crime and identity theft. Workers need to access company databases that hold sensitive data to place orders, search inventory and perform other tasks. They need to share data, images and even video. They also need devices that can stand up to the physical pressures and elements of life in the business world. Mobile workers need mobile devices that are intelligent, versatile and tough.<\/p>\n One way to provide mobile workers with mobile devices is to simply give them phones like their own personal wireless phones. Today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s consumer-class smartphones provide clear voice communication, they can access the Internet, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re small and they look cool. You can get them at the local phone store at the mall, and the initial cost will be less than the class of handheld mobile computing devices designed for enterprise use. In economic times like these, lower cost of deployment is a very tempting option. Why shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t you just give your mobile workers smartphones? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s easy and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s affordable. Or is it?<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153In analyzing the optimum solution, organizations should look beyond acquisition cost of a device and concentrate on discovering the true lifecycle costs of the entire solution,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d according to J Gold Associates. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Only then can the organization maximize its ROI.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d In other words, you can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t afford to overlook the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153oooops factor.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My smartphone worked fine on the sales floor until I dropped it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d As exemplified by the words of our mythical retail sales associate, smartphones are great for consumers, but consumer-grade smartphones may not be great for the workplace. They may not be strong enough or versatile enough to meet the needs of mobile workers and field forces because the mobile workplace presents major challenges for mobile devices.<\/p>\n Until relatively recently, the alternative to supplying workers with consumer-grade phones was giving them more costly, totally ruggedized handheld mobile computers<\/a> typically used in industrial environments such as public safety and public works operations, and in industries like petroleum, chemical, construction, manufacturing, transportation and more. Says Safir, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This often led to businesses overspending on devices that were more ruggedized\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand more expensive\u00e2\u20ac\u201d than they really needed.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n The solution was to create a new class of business-oriented handhelds\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsuch as the Enterprise Digital Assistant (EDA). These handheld computing devices provide the robust functionality and degree of durability that meet the mobile communications needs of most businesses\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwithout the high cost of ruggedized units. Good looks, smaller form factors and ease of use are also key. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153EDAs look less industrial and more like the personal devices workers are used to,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Safir, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153and they provide functionality well beyond simple voice communications including data capabilities, WAN access, GPS and enhanced security.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Which mobile devices are optimal for your organization? \u00e2\u20ac\u0153PRIME is the acronym for a process developed by Motorola to help organizations choose the best wireless device solution for their needs,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Safir, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The process helps our customers understand the most important factors to consider when they are selecting mobile communications devices.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d PRIME\u00e2\u20ac\u201dPlatform, Ruggedness, Integration, Management, Enterprise Lifecycle\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhelps enterprises choose devices that maximize durability, productivity, value and ROI (See Sidebar).<\/p>\n Speaking of TCO, J. Gold Associates offers an eye-opening comparison of the TCO of consumer-grade and EDA-class mobile devices.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Comparing the TCO of durable handheld devices with those of commercial off-the-shelf devices deployed to field workers, we found that a durable enterprise-class handheld device has a 3-year TCO of $1,294 compared a 3-year TCO for a consumer-class device of $1,819\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 a 3-year lifecycle savings of $525.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Further, if enterprise-class devices provide a 2 percent productivity improvement over their consumer-class rivals, companies can generate an additional $3,000 per user per year, or over $9,000 over the expected 3-year life cycle of the device. This revenue enhancement potential more than makes up for the premium costs associated with business-class handheld devices.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The bottom line,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d concludes Safir, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153is that for the workplace, the EDA-class of business-centric handheld computing and communications devices is more valuable in terms of productivity and TCO than consumer-grade smartphones.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d This introduces a totally different oooops factor into the equation, as in: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Oooops, I guess we should have used EDAs instead of smartphones.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Mobility in the workplace is growing exponentially all around the world. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Companies continue to expand their mobile workforces, as increasingly capable and affordable technology becomes available in the form of high performance handheld devices connected to faster and more reliable wireless networks,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d states industry analyst J. Gold Associates. According to VDC Research, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The global mobile […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[96],"tags":[144,112],"yoast_head":"\nMobile Workers Need Mobile Communications<\/h3>\n
The Smartphone Temptation<\/h3>\n
Smart But Not So Tough<\/h3>\n
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A New Class of Mobile Device<\/h3>\n
PRIME Time<\/h3>\n
TCO is the Name of the Game<\/h3>\n
Related Content<\/h3>\n
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