3 Mobile Myths to Consider

Mobile is all the rage nowadays. Industry giants such as Microsoft and Apple claim to have mobile devices that make the PC obsolete. It makes for great marketing, but do mobile devices have what it takes to keep employees productive inside and outside of the workplace? The statistics say no, but the gap is closing. Here are three mobile myths all CIOs should consider.

Mobile Users Aren’t So Mobile
Device marketing has created an aura around the smartphone in particular that the world opens up when you buy their product. While it is super convenient to be able to contact people while you’re on the go, according to a study by the University of Virginia School of Engineering and AOL Networks, nearly three-quarters of all smartphone use takes place within the friendly confines of the user’s own four walls.

If you consider that you spend a lot of your life in a limited amount of places, this study quickly makes sense. The use of mobile devices has expanded from a go-to device when you’re on the go, to a subsidy of a user’s entire life. Over 50 percent of television users admit to using a mobile device while they are watching television. With this kind of steadfast connectivity, users reap the benefits of mobile in all aspects of their lives, creating the second myth…

Mobile Devices Are Good for Work
As an extension of yourself, your mobile device acts as your onboard computer. This leads to marketers blatantly suggesting that since you have access to a powerful computer, on an easy to use device, that you can be more efficient and productive because of it. That’s a wonderful theory, and the world would be a better place if it were the truth, but it is simply hyperbole. Mobile devices are consumption models. The touchscreen is responsive enough to play games or even write out a list or an email, but using productivity software on a 4½-inch screen is just wishful thinking.

Yes, there are some things a user can do on a tablet that can be deemed “work,” but the majority of mobile devices available are being used for consumer information. Smartphones and tablets are great for checking and responding to email, sharing files, setting a schedule, etc., but the real work is, for the most part, still being done on the PC. There has been a push to integrate mobile device technology into retail as a point-of-sale system, or health care as a ePHI (electronic Protected Health Information) dissemination conduit. While these uses are still technically consumption-based, they go above and beyond watching the NFL on your phone.

Mobile Isn’t Safe
Mobile devices have a perception of being less secure than their PC brethren. In fact, 71 percent of respondents surveyed by Forrester on this very topic said that they somewhat or strongly agreed that your typical PC is more secure than a mobile device. Most modern mobile devices come equipped with secure operating systems and they are operated by users that are extraordinarily proficient, as where PCs are more complex machines and have a larger virtual surface area to protect.

The growth in proliferation of mobile in the retail and healthcare industry lends to the notion that these devices are secure computing platforms and do have value in the home and in the workplace. Companies are not only beginning to implement mobile device management programs, they also need to consider bring your own device (BYOD) and bring your own access (BYOA) strategies.

Not all is bad or good about mobile devices in the home and the workplace. For work, mobile should be left as an accoutrement or subsidy designed for consumption. If you are looking to implement a mobile device management solution to keep your network protected, give us a call at 708-781-7110. We can consult with you on what the best mobile strategy is for your company and design and implement a plan that allows mobile to bring value to your organization.