What Mobile Topics Were Most Important To You This Year?
By Sarah Howland, Editor In Chief, Field Technologies magazine
Keeping track of what content is resonating most with our audience gives me a good idea of how to best shape the coverage in the magazine going forward, and it can give you an idea of what your peers are thinking about and researching. Interestingly, the most-downloaded piece of content on Field Technologies Online this year was our Field Mobility 2012 supplement that we produced last December. You can take a look at the updated version of that report in this issue to see where our readers are at with technology investments and what their thoughts are on the latest trends. Besides that report, here are four of the most popular articles on Field Technologies Online in 2012.
Why Does A Rugged Tablet Cost More Than An iPad? — bit.ly/S0eFEI — This is an Executive Outlook column that ran in the March 2012 issue, contributed by Ron D’Ambrosio, CEO of Glacier Computer. The article explores some of the reasons that you can’t get a rugged tablet for the price of an iPad. The popularity of the iPad is indisputable, and so is the fact that part of its draw for companies is the lower price point. That said, it’s important to consider what the trade-off is in terms of durability and what that means to your organization.
BYOD: Personal Vs. Corporate Devices — bitly.com/Rlgzlj — BYOD (bring your own device) is a trend that really took off this year. Companies are getting more pressure than ever before from their workforce asking to use a certain device type/their own devices at work. There are pros and cons to a BYOD strategy, and it’s important to thoroughly consider both sides of the coin before making decisions on whether or not it’s right for you. This is a white paper contributed by Datalogic that examines some of the challenges BYOD can present.
What’s The Best Tablet OS? — bit.ly/UnLQIA — This is a Tech Update column that ran in our October 2012 issue. With the launch of Windows 8 just announced, it explores the various tablet OSs — Windows, Android, iOS — and discusses the pros and cons of each. Whether you’re using tablets, handhelds, or laptops, the OS debate has been a hot topic this year. Many companies are currently considering the abilities and limitations of their present-day operating systems and comparing those with what functionality the other OSs provide to determine if a migration is advisable.
How To Stay Connected With Field Workers — bit.ly/Uy9M6y — With as much as we’ve come to depend on our mobile devices, issues with connectivity can cause major problems — especially with a mobile workforce that depends on its mobile devices to be productive in the field. This is a column contributed by Laine Matthews of Wilson Electronics that discusses some of the common cellular connectivity challenges and provides advice on how to keep your workers connected and productive in the field.
Are there topics that were important to you this year that aren’t included in this list? I’d love to hear your thoughts to make sure we touch on those topics in 2013.