Putting tablets to work

Computing's recent web seminar on tablet devices examined their potential role in business, and the issues IT leaders need to consider when devising a tablet strategy

IT directors are faced with requests from employees to use an ever-increasing range of devices on company systems. But few IT departments are set up to support all the technologies on the market. So how do you decide which mobile devices you support? And how do you ensure your strategy is flexible enough to accommodate new developments in this increasingly crowded marketplace? Our web seminar took a hardware-agnostic look at the hot topic of tablets.

Our experts were: Chris Knowles, head of solutions, Dimension Data; Ian Thain, senior technical evangelist, Sybase; and David Shaw, marketing product manager, Fujitsu Stylistic Q550

The IT market has seen laptops, smartphones and netbooks. Are tablet computers just a fad?

Chris Knowles: Tablets aren’t new, but it’s only in the past 18 months we’ve seen a massive explosion in their use, both in the consumer and work environment. Once people start to get comfortable with the way they’re used, it becomes easier to use them in business.

They’re here to stay. You’ll still need desktops for people who are primarily desk based and have particular application needs. There’ll still be people who need the power and the facilities of a traditional laptop. But there is a section in between, where a tablet comes into its own. It can present content more clearly than a smartphone but is also smaller and easier to use than a notebook.

Ian Thain: We’ve only had a tablet market for about 12 months, and it has been rapidly absorbed into our way of life. You get on a train and you don’t look twice at somebody with a tablet. Businesses will reap the benefit of that. You can present data to your customers more graphically and in different ways.

David Shaw: The term “tablet PC” is a buzzword so businesses need to be careful that they don’t get sucked in. They need to review and understand who in the workforce can benefit from a tablet.

A tablet is a product that fits into business along with desktops and laptops. But a tablet is not a blanket solution. The mobile workers who could benefit most from a tablet PC are those who find the bulk and power of a norebook a little too much and a bit overkill.

Most companies use Microsoft software, but the tablet market is dominated by Apple iOS and Android devices. Could this present problems?

David Shaw: The new Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 is a Windows 7 device and is available now. It makes use of the touch input in Windows, and you can also use a stylus pen and on-screen keyboard. We are confident that this product does fit the business need.

We are now seeing more consumer-oriented devices appearing in the workplace, but these are not specifically designed for business, so security is a key issue. Connectivity and compatibility with existing software and integrating into an existing estate of Windows-based devices is another issue.

This is not to say they are bad devices. But if you’ve got something designed for consumer markets trying to be shoehorned into business, there will inevitably be some issues.

Chris Knowles: Many clients we’re working with are looking at technologies like desktop virtualisation to answer this challenge. Virtual desktop infrastructure takes power away from the end device and puts it into a consolidated virtualised server environment, so that applications no longer run locally on the device but run within that server environment. This enables different operating systems to access those same applications.

Putting tablets to work

Computing's recent web seminar on tablet devices examined their potential role in business, and the issues IT leaders need to consider when devising a tablet strategy

Tablets are small and portable so there is a risk of leaving them in a taxi or on the train. Given that they are increasingly storing corporate data, how can an enterprise best limit the risk of data loss?

Ian Thain: To go into a mobile or tablet strategy without first considering data management security is opening yourself up to a lot of pain. These tablets may cost a few hundred pounds each but as soon as you put corporate data or corporate access on the device, the value of that device goes through the roof.

Device management is part of the solution. You need to be able to lock down Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, for example. There is also the issue of data security. You can put in third-party products that allow data fading, for example, so that after a while if the device isn’t used or data isn’t accessed, the data will disappear.

Chris Knowles: We did a survey earlier this year around the issue of data leakage prevention and we found that over half of large UK businesses allow employees to use devices like smartphones and tablets to connect to their network. But in 39 per cent of those cases, encryption isn’t used, so there is already a large risk out there. Some 17 per cent of the organisations that support mobile working do not have anti-virus on the device, and 34 per cent don’t have anti-spam. So the basics of encryption, anti-virus and spam prevention would really make a difference to the security of tablet devices.

What do you think the life span of a tablet is?

David Shaw: In terms of software and apps, we’re seeing the market grow day by day. More apps are appearing for Windows and touch-optimised tablets. Software will continue to be written. So the only way is up for tablet apps and software.

In terms of hardware, updating a tablet is not the same as taking the lid off a desktop or unscrewing a few screws on a notebook. There is less expandability and that is a consequence of the form factor. A tablet makes very good use of new components, miniaturisation and slimming everything down. The by-product is there is less you can fiddle around with.

In most cases, software optimisation can improve performance. We’re at a stage now where dual-core processors, increased RAM and SSD drives mean a device could run for years and years with the software being added to it to tailor the package.

Do laptops that double up as a tablet offer any real benefit to a business?

David Shaw: It comes down to that key and first question of taking a look at your workforce and understanding what is the best product for different segments of the workforce. For some, who are out and about on the road, a tablet will be best. Others who need a bit more processing and a dedicated keyboard, or who do number crunching, may need a high-powered laptop. It’s a case taking a step back, and seeing what is the most sutable and most cost-effective route.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is touted as being best for business because of its securiy features. Does the panel agree?

Ian Thain: I’ve only had a small glimpse of the PlayBook, but it looks good. RIM has a good reputation for security and device management, so I think we’ll see fairly rapid enterprise adoption of the PlayBook.

Wi-Fi is not available everywhere and there is inconsistent 3G coverage throughout the UK. How does this square with a corporate tablet strategy?

Chris Knowles: Service providers and mobile operators are working on the next generation of coverage and I think over the next year to 18 months, we will start to see that this next-gen coverage expands quite massively. Dimension Data is working with several companies to plug those coverage holes, inside of buildings as well as outside. So the coverage problem will gradually disappear over the next few years. But right now it could potentially be an issue.

Web seminar poll results

We asked everyone who watched the web seminar for their views on tablet devices. Here are their top answers.

What is the most important factor when considering tablets for business use?
Security 49%
Cost 16%
Operating system 15%

What is your organisation’s approach to the use of tablets?
We have no strategy or support for tablets 55%
We supply the devices to employees 30%
Employees can choose to bring their own device or use company equipment 10%
Employees bring their own devices, which we support 4.4%

What is your biggest challenge in supporting tablet devices?
Putting the right security procedures and technology in place 67%