Mobile Computing Thought Leadership

41. The State Of Field Services 2018 3/21/2018

    Traditional hardware manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are all struggling with profitable revenue growth. The historic business model that was based on “Make, Sell, Ship + Attached Service” has either collapsed or is showing signs of duress. So, who can OEM’s count on to play a key role in the transformation that needs to take place? Field services.  

42. Tips For Taking Field Service Technicians Live With Mobile Systems 3/19/2018

    The ability of a field service organization (FSO) to meet its business objectives is based on exceeding customer expectations by providing fast response and resolution, if not predictive failure and scheduled maintenance. These results depend on daily or “live” usage of the mobile technician system, or field service software. 

43. Wish Your Field Techs Had More “Wrench Time”? Give them Better Mobile Tech Tools 3/16/2018

    Did you know that nearly half of the field service technicians claim “paperwork and administrative tasks” are the worst part of their day? Or that, despite the “digitalization” of field service sector, technicians still waste an unacceptable amount of time looking for information to do their jobs? These revelations,uncovered in a study conducted by The Service Council,clearly indicate that it’s not enough to digitize some forms if you’re striving for greater technician productivity and workflow efficiency.

44. 5 Ways To Tell If Your “Rugged” Tablet, Laptop Or Handheld Is A Knock-Off 2/26/2018

    On the surface, an IP65, IP67 or IP68-rated device may seem to provide sufficient protection against your commonly-encountered hazards: dust and water. However,deeming a tablet, laptop or handheld PC that will be used in professional environments as “rugged” using a single spec is not just risky, but irresponsible.

45. Why You Shouldn't Risk Using Consumer Apps For Work Communication 2/13/2018

    For most workers today, instant messaging or chat is a must-have to power real-time communication and collaboration. But conducting work communications over consumer apps is a risky undertaking. From security to central administration, there are many reasons you shouldn’t risk using consumer apps for work communication.

46. Integrated Communication Apps: Get Employees On The Same Page 2/13/2018

    The collaboration and communication tech markets are inextricably linked—at least in terms of how business users expect them to operate. It’s the vendors that tend to be miles apart, which can cause pain for users. I covered the distinction between communication and collaboration in a previous blog with this key takeaway; you can collaborate all day long but unless you communicate in real-time, productivity takes a hit and things can very quickly start to break down. That’s why it’s so important for these two functions to be connected through technologies like integrated communication apps.

47. Is The Business Market Finally Folding On Laptops? 2/9/2018

    In a world where hybrids are in high demand and mashups are clearly not happening by mistake, one might be inclined to stop gambling on “pure form” technologies such as laptops, desktops and tablets. After all, there are a slew of industry analyst statistics indicating a trend towards more flexible computing platforms.

48. 10 Mobile Predictions Your Business Needs To Know For 2018 2/7/2018

    With businesses counting on digital transformation to drive competitive advantage in 2018, many are busy planning their IT initiatives for the coming year. Mobile is a central part of that strategy, as new high-profile devices from Apple and Samsung continue to bolster enterprise demand. A recent Strategy Analytics report found that enterprise smartphone shipments reached 107 million units in 2017, a 15 percent year-over-year increase.

49. Imagine A Fitbit-Like Field Service Experience 1/18/2018

    It’s the New Year, and gyms are packed full with people full of resolve to get healthy. Many of those people, including myself, now use an exercise-tracking device like a Fitbit, Garmin, or Apple Watch to track their activity and help stay motivated. The question is, what can we in the field service industry learn from the use of these exercise-tracking devices?

50. Weighing Your Options: The Mobile Versus Portable Scale 1/10/2018

    The words “portable” and “mobile” have been used interchangeably for years to talk about how easy it is to move a computer from one workspace to another. Correctly, dictionaries now describe “portable” as something that can be moved, while “mobile” is moved freely or easily. As a result, the word “mobile” has increasingly dominated as an adjective to describe a plethora of goods: There are mobile homes (weighing 12 to 14 tons) and portable potties. There are mobile cranes and portable generators. While each of these are much larger than most of the mobile devices that we think about like cellphones, they still have meaning when considered in reference to something stationary. A mobile home is smaller than a house. A portable generator is smaller than a fixed power plant.