My name is Andrew Scott Reid. As a Product Manager for Business Mobile Internet and Tablets at TELUS, I have an opportunity to use various tablets in my day-to-day. The last few weeks we’ve discussed tablets and the opportunities they present based on your business needs.  This week we will look at how to get (and keep) your tablets connected, and managing the security concerns when deploying tablets in your business.

Wi-Fi or 4G?

As we’ve discussed, tablets are mobile computers. While not entirely laptop replacements they are predominantly used with applications (apps).  Most apps used on a tablet require connectivity (Internet access) to sync in with a server, download fresh content, or allow access to a multiuser environment (such as GoToMeeting or Twitter).

Choosing the right connectivity can also mean looking at the potential revenue or productivity increase to your business by enabling more to be done outside the office.  For example, a company that deploys tablets to its field staff could enable real time scheduling of emergency jobs, enable estimates and payment from the field and reduce administration work by having forms filled out digitally and sent right into a back end system.  That company could easily see an increase in productivity resulting in more jobs completed each week.

Tablets offer two types of connectivity, each with its own benefits and drawbacks.  A cellular or 4G connection is enabled by a SIM card in the tablet, while the Wi-Fi enabled tablet provides the ability to connect with nearby hotspots for internet access.

So how do you decide which tablet connectivity fits your business? As with each element we’ve evaluated in building a tablet strategy, it starts by understanding the business needs.  The two common questions to ask are:

• How will the tablets be used outside the office? Will they be used to capture information, pictures or use apps that should be updated in real-time or can updates be done on a more ad-hoc basis?  If the business needs real-time updates, an “always on” connection like cellular may be the best option, while Wi-Fi allows for more irregular or ad-hoc updates.
• Which tablet fits the budget? Wi-Fi only tablets are typically less expensive hardware than 4G tablets, but need to be paired with a Wi-Fi hotspot (cafes, hotels), Mobile Wi-Fi device or smartphone that can create a Wi-Fi hotspot.  While 4G tablets can be more expensive upfront, they can offer more piece of mind with set monthly rate plans a business can budget for each month.

Mitigating mobile security risk: Getting it right from the start

Of course enabling all that access to tablets in the field can pose some security risks.  Security is a very complex and dynamic topic, unique to the needs and operations of every business, both large and small.  There some basic elements you can evaluate though to help identify risks and address them when deploying tablets? These fall into four key areas of vulnerability your business should consider.

• Theft and loss: Theft and loss are two of the common security risks from a user perspective, and they can be mitigated by device features such as a password enabled screen lock or password lock on certain applications. Although it’s an area to consider when planning a tablet roll out, it should have minimal impact on your device selection. Tablets have various software that can be loaded on a desktop or laptop to help back up the device as a precaution.
• Access control: Access control is the ability someone can have to access the device or information and apps contained on it as well as access your IT team or a backend system can have to help control it.  The common risks associated with access control are email and web browsing.  Managing access control can be as simple as ensuring users have the device password protected and enabling remote wipe features available with some tablets through their supporting desktop software.  More advanced access control to limit which sites can be browsed is offered by 3rd party applications such as Juniper Networks.
• Application and data: Building on access control, further application and data risks come from spyware and viruses.  While more common on laptops than tablets, the market has begun to see threats of these types permeating into Android devices and onto tablets.  Protecting applications and data can be addressed through on device applications for anti-virus/spyware and can also be addressed through 3rd party applications as ones we mention above.
• Network: Network security relates to how a business wants their information transmitted across the wireless network and what access they want to give tablets. Restricting wireless network access can be as simple as creating a closed user group or as complex as enabling a service such as TELUS Secure IP Anywhere. These levels on security and restrictions on how much access a device can have to the wireless network are offered by carriers typically as features that a business can ask to have enabled.

While these are just the basic elements, further understanding of the current IT threats in market and the common ways they are being addressed can help alleviate some of these concerns and increase your businesses comfort level deploying tablets.  See our IT Security series for more information.

Do you have a question about creating a tablet strategy for your business?  Leave a comment below, I’d like to hear from you.  I will be using the last post in the series to answer common questions that I hear from you and our customers on creating a tablet strategy for their business.

Andrew Scott Reid is a product manager for business Mobile Internet and Tablets at TELUS and consults with business clients on a regular basis, helping them establish the right mobile tablet strategy for their business.  Follow Scott on twitter: @andrewscottreid

My name is Andrew Scott Reid. As a Product Manager for Business Mobile Internet and Tablets at TELUS, I have an opportunity to use various tablets in my day-to-day. As we move deeper into the discussion of building a business tablet strategy, As a continuation from last week’s discussion of operating systems (OS), This week we’ll look at the Blackberry PlayBook and Windows tablet offerings.

In following last week’s discussion of the Android tablets and apps, another rising star in the tablet market, especially for business, is the BlackBerry PlayBook.  A lot has been said about RIM in the media the last few months and the company has seen some growing pains as they move into the tablet market and make acquisitions such as QNX (in April 2010), however the PlayBook does bring some pretty unique features, demonstrating RIM’s focus on the business market.

Multitasking at it’s best

The PlayBook’s User Interface (UI) has a very similar look and feel to the BlackBerry smartphone operating system (OS) 6, which is to be expected.  However, the acquisition of QNX brings to life a new OS for their tablet device, and with it a number of new and unique features, such as multitasking, the ability to minimize one app and leave it running while opening another.  I’m often asked “are tablets laptop replacements?” This multitasking capability brings the PlayBook closer to a laptop user experience and is the only tablet that will truly allow you to do this.

QNX also brings its Neutrino RTOS Secure Kernel processor technology to the PlayBook.  What this means, in layman’s terms, is minimizing tablet downtime, as the technology ensures the core functionality of the tablet’s processor gets top priority, while the rest of the device use is allocated to the rremainder of the processor.  For those who want a deeper technical description, it is available on the QNX website.  This technology is currently in use by large public sector organizations to ensure 100% uptime of nuclear reactors, defense systems and the like.  In a business device this means no stalls or crashes when trying to run multiple apps at the same time.

Connecting to the Bridge

While PlayBook is not a connected tablet (it does not use a SIM card for access to a cellular network), it pairs with a BlackBerry smartphone for connectivity through a unique application called BlackBerry Bridge.  The Bridge brings the Personal Information Management, or PIM features of email, calendar, contacts, memo and BBM, of the BlackBerry smartphone to the PlayBook via Bluetooth.  The information shared via the Bridge is managed by a companys' Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES), offering a level of email security.  PIM features can also only be accessed when the BlackBerry smartphone is within Bluetooth range of the PlayBook, and a user will be asked for the smartphone screen unlock code to access the information on the PlayBook.  As a result, no information is stored on the Tablet, helping to keep company information secure.

Of course users are not solely accessing email and calendar from the tablet, but also want to browse the web, stream video and use apps.  How can a business manage the use of these capabilities to expand compliance on the tablet? This happens by managing the connectivity.  The Bridge feature also offers a browser that can be managed by the BES, providing the same IT policies for the PlayBook as for a Blackberry Smartphone. This is not the only browser on the device though.  PlayBook has a second (although more main) browser that allows users to access the Internet via Wi-Fi, unrestricted by the BES.

The notion of compliance

As a business device, one of, if not the biggest, differentiators of the PlayBook is the notion of compliance.  Most businesses are looking for ways to allow tablets into their operations that either:a) are owned by the company that employees can use after hours for personal use, or b) owned by the employee and the company will help enable them for day-to-day office use, which can lead to concerns regarding the security of business information.  Through its unique access to email and other PIM functions, the PlayBook is the first tablet to bring this kind of compliance to the forefront, without the need for a 3rd party Mobile Device Management, or MDM software.  Although many reviews have criticized the PlayBook for the lack of a native email client, this so called deficiency actually helps to achieve compliance, which is considered a business requirement for many organizations. In fact, in July the PlayBook became the first tablet to reach Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 certified, meaning it is the first tablet approved for use by the US Federal government.

What about applications?

While the PlayBook does offer a great fit for the core business needs we’ve discussed, the app ecosystem is still a little light. It is one that is growing, however, and RIM has openly stated they are looking at enabling Android apps on the PlayBook down the road.

From my perspective, the PlayBook is a fantastic piece of hardware.  It offers a slim and compact form factor for easy portability (fits in an outside suit pocket), while being packed with great media features.  The screen resolution is crystal clear HD, both on the device and when sent out via the HDMI port and is built with the enterprise in mind, where security and compliance are at the forefront of the design & features.  As mentioned in our first post, this is where the evaluation of your business needs becomes important, weighing the concessions of either going with a less secure device that has more to apps, or trading off the size of the app ecosystem for better compliance for your business. 

Do you have a question about creating a tablet strategy for your business?  Leave a comment below, I’d like to hear from you.  I will be using the last post in the series to answer common questions that I hear from you and our customers on creating a tablet strategy for their business.

Andrew Scott Reid is a product manager for business Mobile Internet and Tablets at TELUS and consults with business clients on a regular basis, helping them establish the right mobile tablet strategy for their business.  Follow Scott on twitter: @andrewscottreid

My name is Andrew Scott Reid. As a Product Manager for Business Mobile Internet and Tablets at TELUS, I have an opportunity to use various tablets in my day-to-day.  In last week’s post on building your business tablet strategy, I talked about the importance of creating a tablet strategy. In this second post will focus on the four key elements to choosing the right tablet for your business; type of use, applications, connectivity and security.

The first element, which sets the foundation for a tablet strategy is type of use.  Just is it sounds, type of use means evaluating how your business will physically use the tablet.  Common questions to ask yourself when developing your strategy include:

• Will you use the tablet primarily in an office setting?
• Will the tablet be used in tough environments such as construction sites?
• Will your business use the tablet in a variety of uses in between the previous examples, such as with sales teams who will spend part of their time in offices and part on the road or in the field with clients? 

Although these seem like almost too basic a set of questions to consider, tablet form paired with function are the main points of differentiation between tablet manufacturers.  When developing tablets, screen size, weight, form factor and ports are some of the easiest differences original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can introduce, leading to the wide variety of options available on the market.  By answering the question of how your business will use the tablet will help you identify the right form of tablet based on which feature becomes more important.

For example, a business might need a tablet for sales teams that travel, which provides them with the ability to share presentations with clients, easily pick up digital schematic files for parts or manufacturing orders, and survive being bounced around in a carry-on while travelling.  A good fit for this type of use could be the Motion CL 900 tablet.

This tablet, new to the market, operates on Windows, so it could interact with client computer systems to have digital schematics uploaded and share presentations; it also has a USB port so files can be loaded right onto the device from the field, and it meets 810-G military specifications for ruggedness, great for travelling or use on client job sites.  As a result, it does present one of the larger form factors for tablets on the market.

While it meets the needs of our business example above, its size might not be what the sales teams are looking for in a flashy device.  In this case, you might begin looking at the other tablets on the market to incorporate into your tablet strategy with a sleeker form factor, however, compromising on the USB port as well as the need to consider cloud computing applications to share and access large digital schematic drawings.

Tablet integration into your current environment

This leads us into the second type of use to consider when building your tablet strategy; how the tablet will integrate with your current environment.   .  Some questions to answer about your business include:

• Are your employees familiar with or trained on a certain type of computing platform or operating system (OS)?
• Is your IT team more proficient with a certain platform? 
• Is your business currently using smartphones, other handheld devices or applications that you want to extend onto a tablet? 

Change management can be a common pain point for businesses deploying new technology as it can tie up resources and slow productivity as users adjust to working with new tools.  For example, if your business is predominantly using BlackBerry smartphones and has invested in a BES server for your email on those devices, a PlayBook would be a natural fit.  If your business has deployed MacBooks and is using an Exchange server with ActiveSync, the path of least resistance for a tablet might be the iPad.  Anticipating these challenges in advance by considering how the tablet will integrate with your business, may allow you to find a device offering minimal impact and change management requirements.

Connecting securely

Two important elements to building your tablet strategy are connectivity and security. Similar to how a tablet integrates to your business, evaluating connectivity also requires a look at current connectivity your business uses such as smartphones, portable hotspots, or Wi-Fi connections while travelling.

Security can be partnered with connectivity as the majority of security concerns for business stem from data being transmitted via email, shared over Wi-Fi or stored in cloud computing applications. Security concerns at an employee level such as device loss or theft, remote wipe and remote lock are also important factors to consider and we’ll take a closer look at security options in a later post in the series.

Applications

The last element in building a tablet strategy is applications (apps), which can’t be discussed in isolation from the operating system (OS).  As with form factor, each OS brings differentiation to the tablets through the native apps preloaded on the device and the overlay from the manufacturer (such as HTC Sense loaded on the HTC Flyer tablet).  Each OS has its own app store/market/world as well that brings a variety of business applications to life.  The discussion of the various applications and OS for tablets is largest of the four key strategy elements, and in next week’s post we’ll begin our deeper dive into the main players in the market.

Do you have a question about creating a tablet strategy for your business?  Leave a comment below, I’d like to hear from you.  I will be using the last post in the series to answer common questions that I hear from you and our customers on creating a tablet strategy for their business.

Andrew Scott Reid is a product manager for business Mobile Internet and Tablets at TELUS and consults with business clients on a regular basis, helping them establish the right mobile tablet strategy for their business.  Follow Scott on twitter: @andrewscottreid

The old proverb "time flies" seems to always be applicable when talking about wireless or computing technology.  Roughly 10 months ago I shared an introduction to Mobile Internet in my post, Mobile Internet 101; I discussed the evolution of wireless internet driven by the continuous development in faster wireless internet products. Much of the focus was Mobile Internet Keys and embedded laptops that are widely limited to supporting a single user; either through a SIM card in a laptop or a USB modem.

The last 18 months, however, saw the introduction of a new sub-category to Mobile Internet: Mobile Hotspots.  This sub-category has already started exploding with devices such as Smart Hubs, Mobile Wi-Fis, plus a feature enhancement for smartphones.  The driver behind all three: Wi-Fi.

As the next step in our Mobile Internet discussion, we’ll define those Mobile Hotspot devices and what this can mean for your business.

Mobile Hotspot devices - the next generation of Mobile Internet

Mobile Hotspots are based on Wi-Fi technology; the broadcast of an Internet connection wirelessly to laptops, smartphones or other Wi-Fi enabled devices within a small geographic zone (hotspot), typically the size of a few rooms or a cafe. Most businesses have had some exposure to using Wi-Fi through devices enabled to receive the wireless Internet connection, such as a laptop.  Wikipedia has more details on Wi-Fi certifications and frequencies.

The devices we will look at broadcast rather than receive a Wi-Fi signal.  What does that mean exactly?  When asked to name a Wi-Fi device, most people think laptop.  It has the ability to connect to a Wi-Fi network for Internet access (i.e. receive).  When asked what’s creating (i.e. broadcasting) that Wi-Fi network most people would think of a router attached to a wireline Internet service (DSL or cable). 

The first type of device that created a Mobile Hotspot off a cell network was Smart Hubs, introduced to the Canadian market in late 2009.  Shortly after came the aptly named Mobile Wi-Fi devices.  These devices create a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to 5 users and incorporate the capabilities of a router, allowing users to customize their settings such as changing the wireless network name (SSID) and password, port forwarding; and access SMS messages and cellular connection settings such as roaming.  Some Mobile Wi-Fi devices also include smartphone features such as a display screen so users can easily view information on signal strength, SMS messages waiting, number of users connected and roaming status.

The latest addition to the Mobile Hotspot sub-category is a feature enhancement to existing smartphones.  The first enhancement appeared on Android smartphones with the Froyo OS (Android 2.2 operating system), the next on the iPhone with iOS version 4.3.  Although built to support different smartphones, both features operate in the same way.  From the settings menu a user can turn on their hotspot feature, thus broadcasting a small Wi-Fi network from their smartphone.  The number of devices that can connect varies from 5-8; and there are limited customization features such as changing the SSID and password.  The broadcast range and signal strength of these hotspot Wi-Fi networks is dependent on the smartphone.  Any devices connected to a hotspot of this type would receive Internet access speeds based on the device, while using data from the smartphone’s rate plan.  The hotspot feature isn’t necessarily the fastest Mobile Wi-Fi connection; however it can be the quickest and easiest.

What do Mobile Hotspots mean for your business?

Mobile Hotspots offer a new connection type for Mobile Internet, but it is still a category within Mobile Internet and all the business benefits you would associate with Mobile Internet definitely still apply.  The two most common benefits to businesses are cost savings and productivity gain.  A report published by JiWire in late 2009 indicates that the number of mobile devices accessing Wi-Fi hotspots in North America grew by 79% in the first half of the year and more than half of Wi-Fi users accessed Wi-Fi service from a hotel or resort hotspot (55.3%).  Of those 81% of the public Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide are paid, while 19% are free.  Given that the report was published just as the Mobile Hotspot devices we described began to launch, these stats relate to users accessing hotspots from traditional means.

The usage pattern shown by these stats demonstrate that people are accessing Wi-Fi at a variable cost, predominantly while on the road.  A better option for business travellers would be to take advantage of Mobile Hotspot devices to help manage cost and usage.  For larger companies, these mobile solutions can assist with mobile data compliance for their road warriors.  For example; an insurance adjuster travels 3 weeks a month for business in Northern Alberta.  Equipped with an Android smartphone and Wi-Fi Android tablet, the adjuster can fill out forms, take notes and capture pictures of claims digitally on the tablet, then use the smartphone to create a Mobile Hotspot to send that information back to head office,  all on the data plan of the company.  Being on the road for 3 weeks the adjuster also uses the tablet for personal use in the evening.  The tablet is Wi-Fi only, so the adjuster can pay, at personal expense, to connect to the hotel Wi-Fi to use the device in the evening.  This clear separation of business and personal helps the IT staff manage the compliance of the devices.

Lastly, Mobile Hotspots help streamline IT deployment.  Deployment of Mobile Internet devices such as USB modems are important for businesses in today’s economy, however the testing, setup, configuration and maintenance of these devices can be cumbersome for IT departments.  Businesses who lock down their company laptops (and a lot do) will typically restrict the end user from being able to install new software or make configuration changes.  So IT has to step in and assist when there is a connection or software issue from a USB modem.  With Mobile Wi-Fi devices, the load for IT can be greatly reduced.  There is no software to install so the initial testing/certification process to purchase new devices is sped up. Then when deploying these devices, there is no install on user laptops or other devices, so IT can simply pass the Mobile Wi-Fi device to the user.  The majority of users will be familiar with Wi-Fi from home use and can then manage the device themselves on the road, reducing troubleshooting for IT and freeing them to tackle more critical or strategic business needs.

These are just a few examples of common benefits businesses see with Mobile Hotspots.  With the arrival of summer in Canada many businesses are opening temporary locations, hiring short term staff to work in the field and running single day events where they need connectivity; all beneficial uses of this new Mobile Hotspot technology.

Andrew Scott Reid (or just Scott) is a Product Manager at TELUS Business Solutions. Scott has over six years of IT/telecommunications marketing and sales experience.  Based in Toronto, he primarily works with small and medium sized businesses to explore technology solutions that improve business productivity and efficiency.  Scott has extensive insight into mobile working needs from a customer perspective and is able to offer insight into several of TELUS’ technology offerings for Canadian businesses, including the Smart Hub solution.  When he’s not at work, Scott relaxes by playing/watching football and cooking (apparently he makes a mean brunch!).

Have you started to think about the next evolution of your business’ Mobile Internet strategy?

In my last post on May 5^th I introduced a new technology, the TELUS Smart Hub, which is ‘game-changing’ in a number of ways.  Since then colleagues and clients have asked me to elaborate on that point.

Over the past few years the trend in mobile working has been increasing.  The term mobile working has itself become fairly general and could represent a number of diverse situations.  A solution like the Smart Hub is ‘game-changing’ in that it fits nicely into diverse uses, while meeting business needs and providing cost effective communications management.

Here are a few examples:

1.    A construction company

With sites in both urban and rural areas, construction companies need to source various communications services which typically include a higher fee for installation and for the temporary service.  Construction companies could easily provide a job site with a Smart Hub instead of bringing in landline service.  The single solution would provide both the voice and data service for the office trailer, as well as provide a WiFi connection for engineers, architects or subcontractors who are on site for a few days.  With two phone ports available, the site supervisor could have a desk phone in the office trailer and plug in a cordless base station to carry the office line with them as they wander the site.

2.   Experiential/travelling marketing teams

The ability for the Smart Hub to be mobile, again, speaks to the diversity of its use.  As we head into the summer months more and more marketing companies will be activating their experiential marketing teams.  These teams are typically college or university students who travel with a product to various outdoor events.  At these events they would setup a display to engage clients in trying (experiencing) their products.  The Smart Hub is plug-and-play allowing teams to quickly and simply setup voice and data service, as well as any Internet connectivity required for clients to experience their product.  With its portability the Smart Hub can be plugged into either a power outlet at the site or a power outlet (or car lighter) in a vehicle.  This type of connectivity provides limitless opportunities to setup business communications virtually anywhere.

3.   Temporary indoor locations such as a Mobile Health Clinic

A solution like the Smart Hub doesn’t have to be used only in outdoor situations.  It can provide a simple and resourceful connectivity option for temporary locations indoors as well.  One example is a mobile health clinic.  Public or not-for profit organizations will often setup special temporary sites for blood drives, flu shots or health consultations.  These sites are no different from a medical office requiring both voice and data service for doctors and support staff.  The Smart Hub solution offers a voice line for important calls to and from the clinic, as well as a WiFi network for laptops, tablet PCs or other connected devices the doctors may carry the site with them.   The clinic could even add an application such as TELUS Voicemail to Text so that as calls come in to the temporary clinic and no one is available to answer the phone, the voicemail messages would be converted to text then emailed to the doctors for them to read it on a connected device.

These are just a couple of the potential uses for a solution like the TELUS Smart Hub.  The diversity of this solution could also extend to POS in retail locations to home call centre agents.

Do you have any ideas how your business could use a Smart Hub to provide quick, temporary access to communications services?  Anyone who comments below between May 31 and June 11 will be entered to a draw for a chance to win a Smart Hub for your business.  Join the conversation by creating a profile, logging in and adding a comment below. I’ll keep an eye on feedback and try to respond as quickly as possible.

*No purchase necessary.  See Contest Rules for complete details.  Contest runs May 31, to June 11, 2010.