Mobility made simple for small businesses27 June 2006
While laptop PC sales now outnumber the traditional desktop, one of the most trumpeted benefits of the continuing evolution of broadband technology is the ability to connect to the internet wirelessly and hence work and communicate while on the move.
According to a Gartner analyst speaking at the Gartner Midsize Enterprise Summit in Paris, however, it is precisely the changeable nature of mobile technology that is preventing small businesses from investing in it.
Monica Basso said: "Mobile technologies are volatile and the pace of change is accelerating - the time it takes for new software and devices to emerge is six months, and new networks emerge every two years. You need to make choices today on something that will change rapidly tomorrow."
However, she advised that small businesses looking to get started with mobile technology could benefit from adopting a smaller-scale approach to investment in devices and applications, ZDNet news reports. Making strategic purchases now can benefit business operations in the near-term, while taking companies towards the fully mobile competitive unit in the long-term.
Simple benefits
Utilising devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and laptops can bring a number of benefits to both staff members and the small business as a whole.
- Increased productivity - employees can work while traveling to and from meetings or while filling time awaiting appointments. With a package like BT Remote Access Pack they can also have full access to their email and the company network, so the same data is on hand as if they were sat at their desk.
- Enhanced communication - staff in the field and office-based employees can communicate more efficiently, allowing tasks to be completed quickly and simply. Clients can also contact employees, meaning that orders, requests or complaints can be handled immediately, raising customer satisfaction levels.
- Competitive edge - having mobile workers will give the small business an edge over the competition as all aspects of day-to-day business operations can be continued without disruption, no matter where employees are.
Simple devices
Laptop - essential to any effective mobile worker is the laptop. Employees using a notebook with the right applications installed can be just as effective as if they were at the office, if not more so given the device's use in off-site meetings. Ensuring that they are equipped with data cards, for download and data storage, and mobile email will mean that employees can maximise the return on investment on their laptops.
PDA - devices such as the BlackBerry or Palm have become increasingly popular recently, as not only do they offer users internet access, they are small enough in size to be a convenient organiser. BT's Business Email package is now compatible with the BlackBerry too, so emails and appointments can be kept up-to-date.
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