Enterprise Mobile Devices are Designed for Business
The mobile workforce is growing despite a challenging economy. From factory to the retail aisle, from warehouse to office, from the open road to the customer site, more employees are on the move. Mobile devices give workers the information and interaction they need to transform operations, increase profitability, and excel at their jobs. According to a 2010 study by J. Gold Associates, “Mobile workers now spend as much as 25-35% of their work day in the field interacting with their portable handheld assistants.”
Designed for personal use, consumer devices are not the ideal choice for business. The initial price is low (sometimes free!) The brand names may be familiar and desirable. They offer the latest features and often a sleek, attractive, lightweight design. They perform everyday tasks: make calls, handle email, and access the web. However, their life cycle may be as short as six months, after which the current models become obsolete and shiny new models take their place.
Enterprise-grade devices are designed and built for intensive business use. Typically, they have a higher initial price. In return, they offer optimization for job-specific tasks, integration with certain platforms, more rugged construction, and longer life cycles. Often they include advanced security features, data capture and asset management capabilities, and a consistent user interface – issues that aren’t important for consumers but are vital to a business that wants to optimize productivity.