Getting smart about smart phones
Whether it’s an iPhone, Palm, Blackberry or another smart-phone device, consumer PDAs are making their mark on corporate America, including retail. Sure, chains are attracted to the many enterprise applications that continue to hit the scene, but it is the deployment of mobile-device management systems that will make or break the adoption of consumer devices in an enterprise setting.
Eager to stay in touch with critical information that will better help them service their core customers, retail executives and managers alike are trading in their laptop computers in favor of handheld devices. Rather than purchase rugged handheld computers and enterprise digital assistants -- both of which often come with high price tags -- retail executives are opting to use their personal smart phones to connect with mission-critical information.
Web-enabled smart phones already allow individual users to connect to e-mail, surf the Web and manage their social calendars. But it is their strong operating systems that make all the difference for corporate settings. These platforms enable executives to seamlessly access enterprise applications such as merchandising, customer-relationship-management solutions, sales-force automation and enterprise-task-management systems to ensure associates are completing store-level tasks.
As their functionality increases, their operating platforms become more powerful and their prices continue to drop, more smart phones are finding their way into retail enterprises.
In 2008 alone, more than 1 billion smart phones were sold (including iPhones, Blackberrys, Palms and Nokia units, to name a few), and more business “apps” continue to be released. Since many executives are responsible for purchasing the hardware, and in some cases, subsidize portions or all of the monthly fees, retailers are finding that supporting personal smart phones is a cost-effective option.
Clearly, many of the units, especially iPhones, have come under fire due to vulnerable security platforms that make them attractive to hackers. The good news is many third parties are coming to the table with anti-virus applications to ensure data transfer is protected and authorized between users.
But the bigger issue that retailers should be concerned with is their ability to manage the growing number of remote units accessing the network. It is not uncommon for a chain to support a large number of units -- that can exceed the number of desktops deployed in a typical chain. With so many personal devices being used to access the network, and different types of hardware at that, chains really need a firm grasp on what units are being used, and the “health” of these devices.
Mobile-device-management systems can be the golden ticket chains need to monitor laptops, PDAs, rugged data-collection devices used in the warehouse or at store-level and smart phones. Chains can remotely monitor devices by location or type, deliver software and configurations and even perform diagnostic tests to monitor memory, batteries and network connections.
Most importantly, the system can remotely back up and restore devices, and install security measures such as passwords and remote lock-downs if the phone is lost or stolen.
Rather than learn the hard way, retailers need to make mobile-device management a mission-critical technology while their mobile smart-phone fleets are emerging. The Good mobile device management will ensure that the users and their enterprises remain connected and secure.