Bridging to an Evolved Service Experience and Improved Bottom Line
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Tablets for the Enterprise Bridging to an Evolved Service Experience and Improved Bottom Line korewireless.com The People Powering IoT TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword by Alex Brisbourne, CEO, KORE Wireless Group Inc. 1. For Deskless Work, Tablets Take Center Stage a. Tablets, People and the Internet-of-Things b. A Winning Form Factor c. Versatility Keys Productivity 2. The Changing Perception of Connectivity a. Cellular and the “Natural Barrier” to Endpoint Attacks i. Network Access Security ii. Network Domain Security iii. User Domain Security iv. Application Security v. Visibility and Configurability Security vi. Cryptographic keys b. Fiscal Considerations and the Power of Pooling 3. Monetizing the Managed Tablet a. A glimpse into use case possibilities vii. Engagement vs. “just service” viii. Ensuring “first time fix” in the field” ix. Digital twins on the horizon x. Training and on-boarding 4. Connecting Healthcare a. The rise of “aging in place” b. Influencing positive outcomes 5. Conclusion – How future-proof do you want to be 2 FOREWORD You can imagine my surprise and, candidly, delight, About three years ago now, I pegged the iPad on a recent overseas flight that held a particularly as Apple’s first true opportunity to enter the tight connection at its terminus. As we began enterprise market and, here in 2016, we may just the initial descent into London, a flight attendant have alighted onto the wave-making killer app for approached, iPad in hand, and informed me in a “deskless” workforce: tablets. impeccable, proper Queen’s English, “Pardon me, Mr. Brisbourne. We can see you’ll have but 15 The tablet stands out as a multifaceted job- minutes to make your way to Terminal 2 for your enhancement tool: it can be a bridge to higher sales, connection to Barcelona. Once we’ve completed provide timely access to customer information and our taxi, I’ll be here to escort you and a few others improve the service delivery experience overall. as quickly as possible, ahead of the crowd. Just please be ready to rise and join me when the For example, let’s say you hold the service contract seatbelt sign dims.” for machinery running in far-flung or inhospitable locations; operating data from that equipment The event was striking, not merely in the departure can be set up to stream to devices held by your it took from the standard, overhead announcement field techs, so they can be empowered to spot of connecting flights’ gates – (yet leaving it to each performance issues in a near-instant time stamp, passenger’s own devices to navigate the cattle call and address any problems before they become at exit) – but also in the fact that a tablet computer catastrophic. seemed to be the enabling mechanism. And indeed it was. Allow me to go one level deeper on this score: Consider the possibilities for service techs who’ve While more and more cabin attendants may integrated tablets into their workday, who can now seem to be spending an inordinate amount put into practice the concept of “digital twins.” of time looking down at their personal devices, With a virtual map of the equipment they’re these tablets are in fact airline-issued, and are servicing right in their hands, viewed on the tablet, the employees’ access point to all kinds of any repair becomes not one of trial and error, service-enhancing data, from this passenger but one of precise diagnosis, efficient tear down who has a birthday today, to that one who has and proper re-build. The chance for error hits a a complimentary drink coming. diminishing return. 3 The opportunity for tablets to change the game for service workers, and improve the bottom line of the companies that employ them, covers any industry where processing power, data security, and remote worker management are paramount. Industries such as home healthcare, building maintenance, utilities, insurance, residential services, and commercial equipment servicing of every stripe all stand out as high-leverage opportunities. Regardless of the setting, everything starts with a properly managed, properly connected device that keeps business fiscal requirements top-of-mind in parallel with reliable connectivity and gated access. In the pages that follow, we will lay out how KORE customers can get in on the ground floor of the managed tablet opportunity. The tablet stands out as a multifaceted job-enhancement tool: it can be a bridge to higher sales, provide timely access to customer information and Alex Brisbourne improve the service delivery CEO, KORE Wireless Group Inc. experience overall. 4 1. FOR DESKLESS WORK, TABLETS TAKE CENTER STAGE As early as 2012, KORE and many leading To put it more directly, the company went on to analysts stated with confidence that the iPad announce plans to build out an entire ecosystem would be Apple’s first true chance to break into of developers who would work on apps to mobilize the enterprise market, and saw the prediction business processes across multiple vertical markets, start to bear fruit. In an investor call last April, from point of sale to field service automation. Apple seemed to stake its claim to be a de facto standard for enterprise IT. “We are seeing very The takeaway: the tablet’s time as a legitimate high interest from companies who want to use business tool has come. iPads to transform how work gets done,” said CFO Luca Maestri. 5 TABLETS, PEOPLE AND THE INTERNET-OF-THINGS When combining this trend with the rise of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) as a driver of new business models and opportunities, tablets provide a tangible link between IoT “vision” and “execution.” IoT growth is fast transforming the world into a marketplace of data collection, and managing that data. Tablets stand out as a desirable COTS device, easily deployable as smart endpoints for data collection. Moreover, on the human experience side, field service has long been considered a job where “38 percent of employees people find a high degree of meaning in their work. Increased integration of tablets into the mobile claim the use of mobile workplace can bring even more satisfaction to devices at work has those already employed in the sector, and push net contributed to increased new job seekers to the calling. According to a recent survey by Field Technologies Magazine, 38 percent work efficiency and of employees claim the use of mobile devices at job satisfaction” work has contributed to increased work efficiency and job satisfaction (and the percentage is expected to rise each coming year). When considered in that context, it is easy to see tablet computers as a missing link between human workers and the ability to derive tangible, near-term returns from the IoT. 6 There one additional factor to consider: a steady stream of millennials entering the workforce, the first generation to be born and bred on technology. The idea of providing devices that allow an employee to be productive in and out of the traditional work environment will be critical as these younger workers propagate the ranks. One of the fringe benefits of tablet adoption is perception; it sends the signal that any given business is dedicated to growing and changing with technology, which will be ever more crucial to attracting and retaining talent. A WINNING FORM FACTOR At the highest level, a tablet-centric solution for the mobile workplace has several built-in advantages: § The device easily acts as a single-point experience for the user. Tablets do not require clunky middleware or work-intensive integrations for software services such as security, application, and connectivity management. Just load the app, and go. § It allows for a true, two-way pipeline of information between connected products and employees. § Unique to the device, tablets can be restricted to a very narrow application area of intended use. Individuals cannot access the OS, so it allows for careful and intentional provisioning of permissions and specific apps on the device. § Processing speed, power and data capacity allows for complex workflows, while also accommodating layers of third-party security and Mobile Device Management apps. Providing devices that Going beyond these “management-friendly” allow an employee to be features, there are many nuanced functional productive in and out of the properties built into today’s tablet technology that traditional work environment will be critical as millenials make them so desirable for mobile work. propagate the ranks. 7 VERSATILITY MEANS PRODUCTIVITY Tablets pack a ton of computing oomph and task- Continuing on the topic of screen features, it would oriented usability into a small and convenient be negligent to leave out a discussion of brightness package. The devices are lightweight, and candidly – or, rather, achieving a level of brightness that will so are laptops, but there are times in a deskless cut through the bleaching out effect of sunlight. worker’s day where a laptop is just not practical. For employees who work in the field, that simple For example, it is difficult to remain in a standing inconvenience takes away from productivity and position and reasonably expect to accomplish work this feature cannot be overstated. Today’s tablets on a laptop. Or, for home healthcare professionals, have largely solved this issue; most are able to it can be distracting to take notes about a patient eclipse the effects of the sun and offer a wide or enter data from the visit on a laptop, yet still give enough color spectrum that images are more proper attention to the patient. The tablet form- saturated and easy to read. Moreover, many tablets factor goes well beyond just being lightweight; they now come with light sensors in the tablet’s bezel are also right-sized to be toted anywhere, and the that measure ambient lighting and automatically touch-optimized interface renders them usable in adjust the display to maintain consistent readability virtually any position.