Extending the Enterprise with Mobility Solutions
(first published in Business Brief - November 2006)
EXTENDING THE ENTERPRISE WITH MOBILITY SOLUTIONS
More and more organisations are beginning to realise the benefits that can be achieved from allowing staff access to corporate systems, when they are on the move. This applies equally to the engineer on the road, the executive in a hotel and the salesman at a client.
There are two good reasons why.
Firstly, the evolving workplace is now centered on teams, not individuals; we have moved away from the serial flow of information to a more collaborative process flow that requires the input and co-operation of geographically dispersed teams. A report by Gartner Dataquest shows that the percentage of an individual’s work product that depends on group input has increased from 60% in 2000 to a projected 80% by 2010.
Secondly, combined with that fact that work moves with people; our workplace and workflow is no longer tied to a particular location, time of day or individual.
So with this being the case, why is it then, that the only location where workgroups everyone hasve access to their an optimal work environment and all their productivity tools, is the one location they spend the least amount of time at - their desk!
With individual inconveniences and major workforce disruptions preventing employees from being in his or her office, how do we manage the productivity gap during these disruptions. Put another way, the ’enterprise challenge’ is how do towe enable workgroups to...
- adjust to this evolving workplace quickly
- communicate and collaborate effectively
- be more productive throughout the day
.....while leveraging existing technology investments.!
The answer is "enterprise mobility" - successfully network enabling workgroups to extend the capabilities of the corporate desktop environment across the enterprise:
On the road
- Bluetooth interfaces for laptops and headset forphones
- Videoconferencing with third generation (3G) mobile phones
- PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) to pick up e-mail and synchronise diary with office
- ’on the move’ training via 3G handset
At the remote office
- Wireless enabled laptops,
- DECT handsets or wireless IP phone
- Hot Desking
- Fast ’touch-down’ areas for travelling professionals
At home
- Wireless enabled laptop
- 3G or ’softphone’ for Videoconferencing
- Wireless broadband for access to office applications
- DECT handset or wireless IP phone
In public places
- Thru Wireless ’hotspots’
- Internet enabled 3G phone or PDA
- Access to Corporate Intranet through WAP (wireless application protocol)
- Access to the office through a secure VPN (Virtual Private Network)
Mobility solutions extend employees’ access to critical applications, web content and communication tools, . Mobility solutions leveraginge and extending the capabilities of existing technology investment.s such as networks, PCs and applications. Reports have shown that extending the enterprise, expands the productivity zone beyond the desktop, and can increase productivity from 30% to around 90%. Reports have also shown that as well as having more productive employees, mobility also works for the individual. By removing much of the ’dead time’ within a typical day, employees become more able to do their job effectively and consequently feel less stressed and happier.
In Over the past few years,the recent past there has been an enormous increase in the range of the technologies that enable mobile and flexible working. An understanding of the choices and technologies available is vital for all organisations planning an investment in mobile systems. This is why the Mobile Enterprise Alliance (MEA), a global advocacy group promoting the business benefits of workforce mobility to enterprise end users and decision makers, was founded in 2003 and chartered to promote global enterprise adoption of mobile workforce technologies, software and services. The MEA has played an integral role in ensuring that terms like "mobile enterprise" and "enterprise mobility" today define how mobile worker communications, computing and collaboration are part of a trend towards widespread use of mobility at major corporate enterprises.
There are many examples of where mobility has worked, but one high profile example is Microsoft, who invested $9m to install a secure wireless LANs for their 35,000 users. Not many of us have the necessity to install such a network, but the interesting point here is that mobility does not need to be overly complex. Simply by installing a Wireless LAN (WLAN), Microsoft reckon they save $6.1m per annum in improved productivity, with 50% of the workforce having productivity gains of between ½ hour and 1 ½ hours per day, with 24% of personnel using the WLAN for over 6 hours per day and over 93% using their laptops in new locations.
Now you could argue that Microsoft is a technology-driven company and therefore mobility would obviously benefit such a company. However, the rapid increase in the sale of PDAs, the increasing roll-out of Wireless hot spots (a public place where you have wireless access to the internet) and the number of hotels now offering free wireless connectivity, would indicate that there is demand for mobility solutions across all enterprises.
But it’s not just corporate enterprises that are recognising the new "networked" economy, governments too are heavily investing in mobility solutions. Earlier this year, the Finish government networked all the Finish ministries to allow thousands of government workers the ability to manage, communicate, deliver and retrieve government documents, seamlessly and securely anywhere, anytime and more importantly, from anywhere in Europe.
The emerging connected economy challenges traditional enterprises to reconsider their business models, infrastructure, organisational arrangements and support processes. Speed, flexibility, customization, employee empowerment and customer empowerment are all the new competitive imperatives.
Now, more than ever, there is no need to be out of touch and unavailable provided you have the right technology and the right training to implement it and use it.