Cloud Computing with Tablet PCs
By: Volkmar Kunerth
Tags: PC, Tablets, Cloud, Laptop, Cloud Computing

The adoption of cloud computing is attracting more and more companies looking for ways to increase operational efficiency and reduce IT costs. For mobile workers in industries such as field service, food logistics, retail and warehouse management, the biggest benefit of cloud computing is reliable access to corporate data — anytime, anywhere.

According to a recent Gartner Agenda survey, technology executives expect to significantly expand their use of cloud and software-as-a-service (SaaS) technologies. While only 3% of executives run the majority of their IT systems in the cloud today, it is expected that this number could grow to 43% in the next 4 years. Much of this growth will be driven by providing access to corporate data through cloud-based applications for mobile workers via tablet PCs.

Rugged tablet pc cloud computing a study by the Service Council, 53% of field service organizations planned to use cloud computing in the field in the next two years, or were at least strongly considering it. This means that applications, data, storage capacity and servers could be physically moved out of the enterprise and into the virtual cloud. Companies would manage their IT infrastructure without costly investments in hardware or support functions.

Benefits of cloud computing for the mobile workforce

Most mobile workers already use tablet PCs and, in many cases, work from the road. By moving data to the cloud, information can be easily accessed by any employee, regardless of location, through their mobile computer. The main benefits are cost savings, reduced implementation complexity and mitigation of technology obsolescence.

Cloud solutions can provide significant cost savings in the mobile application space, as follows.

1. lower infrastructure and support costs

2. faster implementations

3. faster application updates without downtime

4. more flexible configuration models

The cost benefits far outweigh the risk factors. A trusted partner like MobileDemand can help you evaluate the following considerations before taking the big leap forward:

1.Security. A cloud provider should ensure that your data is never confused with another customer’s data. For certain vertical markets, the provider should also ensure compliance with industry standards. For example, healthcare applications should comply with HIPAA requirements. When it comes to mobile payment, the solution may be required to meet Payment Card Industry (PCI) data security standards.

2.Reliability. The cloud provider should contractually guarantee 24/7 uptime for the application. Be sure to check the provider’s backup and redundancy capabilities across multiple data centers.

3.Customization. No solution is ready to go out of the box. So make sure custom changes can be made centrally for faster deployment.

4.Wireless coverage. Lack of coverage is hardly an issue today, as wireless carriers have expanded their high-speed networks and increased their performance. Still, consider how many of your employees work in remote, rural areas where network coverage is a challenge. In these cases, make sure the provider can deliver offline capabilities. For wireless LAN applications, conduct a site survey and analysis before deployment to identify potential gaps in coverage.

With proper planning, cloud computing facilitates access to data, applications and Web-related activities in an interactive and flexible environment. It offers several options that allow for rapid expansion and contraction of data facilities based on current revenue and economic factors. Jumping to the cloud can significantly reduce costs and improve the profitability of a mobile computing solution.