Balancing the need for mobile workforce management

As organizations expand their mobile workforces, IT groups must find new ways to support a growing and diverse collection of mobile computer systems and devices without adding costs, increasing complexity, or sacrificing security. Employees now expect freedom of choice in device support, so IT groups must work to enhance user flexibility, promote productivity and provide secure access—anytime, anywhere—to information that employees require—all while maintaining tight control of sensitive corporate information.

The expanding bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend makes that mission more difficult, however. IT groups must support a broad array of platforms, operating systems and configurations. They also need solutions designed to help streamline administrative tasks, deliver the right content and applications to the right people, and keep business information secure—all while keeping costs down.

Good mobile workforce management software solutions can help organizations address the key challenges of building this foundation and deliver applications for improved end-user productivity while optimizing infrastructure investments. These solutions let organizations provide access to enterprise information and resources for employees using a wide variety of devices and configurations. They help simplify a full range of administrative tasks, from asset discovery and software provisioning to patch management and policy enforcement. And they help ensure security by enabling administrators to effectively manage identities and access while protecting the network from intrusions.

Companies allow employees to use personal devices in part to help improve productivity and job satisfaction. Mobile smart devices are driving a new workplace paradigm that fosters collaboration anytime and anywhere, and enhances communication through social networking and online presence. The use of personal devices also enables organizations to embrace the concept of virtual teams, leveraging geographically dispersed talent working in different time zones.