When you’re on the move, security is often your first priority. Is your data safe across all devices? Who can access it other than yourself or your employees? But beyond security, you also need to address the practical considerations when selecting the right hardware for your mobile workforce.
To BYOD or not to BYOD
One way to keep hardware costs down is to implement a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) scheme for remote employees. While this comes with obvious security risks – data leakage, mixing business with personal– BYOD does give your employees flexibility to choose a device that they feel comfortable using.
At the end of the day, it’s your responsibility to find the right balance between flexibility and security.
Fit for purpose
The type of device that you get for your mobile workforce will depend on how each employee intends to use it. For instance, not everyone needs a laptop if they can adequately do their job on a mobile phone. Alternatively, for a go-anywhere, do-anything device a tablet might be the best option.
Robust or refined
Depending on your line of work, you will need hardware that suits the role of the employee. If they’re likely to be off-site in a warehouse, for instance, they’ll need a robust device or a heavy-duty case.
For an employee visiting clients in other offices, however, give them a smarter-looking device, such as an iPhone or Samsung.
Compatibility
There are a lot of options available when it comes to selecting the right hardware for a mobile workforce. Not all devices are created equal, though. You need to make sure that the devices you select will be compatible with any line-of-business applications you run, and that colleagues on different devices can still effectively collaborate.
Equipping the mobile workforce
In truth, selecting the right hardware for your on-the-go employees is much the same as equipping your office. You still want resilient, trustworthy and cost-efficient hardware that will stand the test of time – it just has to fit in a pocket or backpack, too.
