Mobile working - the promise, the pain and the proof of the pudding

Avoiding the pain of connectivity that undermines the promise of mobile working and can destroy efficiencies and Return on Investment (RoI)

The considerations to deliver cost efficient intelligence on the move are detailed in the following article.

Mobile systems comprise three key pillars:

• mobile devices,
• wireless networks and,
• software and applications.

This paper focuses on an oft neglected aspect of the mobile working technology mix - namely  providing secure and straightforward remote access for mobile workers across any available network type - broadband from home, Wi-Fi and cellular when on the move. Even if the best devices and the most appropriate applications are used, employing an inadequate wireless infrastructure can ruin the promise of efficiencies and return on investment

Read on to learn more about how existing UK public sector customer achieve productivity gains for mobile users by offering:

• single sign-on - log on only once, and not having to log on each time a connection fails
• allowing applications to persist and not crash when roaming or when the connection drops
• decreasing the amount of cellular data that gets sent by between 50% and 70% typically
• detailed audit and analytic reporting to give a detailed insight into mobile activities

Operations teams in local governments are familiar with the need to address conflicting objectives: to deliver high-quality services which adhere to legislative requirements (e.g. Service Level Agreements and audit expectations) while minimizing or cutting costs. These demands ring true across departments such as waste and refuse collection, to facilities management, enforcement (e.g. parking and street patrols), highways, social care and environmental services. They can be summarised succinctly: local authorities are expected to achieve "more with less".