ChannelLife New Zealand - Industry insider news for technology resellers
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Fri, 1st Apr 2011
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Business technology suppliers are acutely aware of the challenges facing executives on the move. Here at Samsung, we commit huge resources to engineering, industrial design and user testing to make life easier for people on the road. Samsung is now one of the world’s largest providers of Android smartphones, which can make your business smarter and more mobile.The latest smartphone and tablet devices are portable and light but possess nearly the computing power of a laptop. They’re so feature-packed that users may not choose to carry additional devices like laptops and cameras.A business with a mobile workforce team can work remotely, stay connected and communicate using integrated web, HD video and audio conference features over 3G or WiFi on smartphone or tablet devices. This not only helps reduce travel costs and frees up more time to complete other tasks, it enables access to relevant and real-time information to assist staff in their decision making. It’s necessary to remember that use of all these features may vary with geographic location and the terms of use and technical specifications of users’ network provider/s and/or the user’s network plans.Many mobile devices include office applications built in, so users can create and edit Office documents in Word, PowerPoint and Excel, which can be viewed and shared with others on the go. The Android platform offers an intuitive user interface that requires little training. (Samsung provides a consistent Android interface between all Samsung devices.)One of the most popular mobility services your customers may be looking for is the ability to implement and manage both sales order management and customer relationship marketing on the go. There are an increasing number of mobile business intelligence solutions and applications based on SAP applications and customer relationship marketing systems, that enable access to critical information in real-time to ensure users have their fingers on the pulse. This allows your customers to empower their field force by enabling them with a CRM system in the palm of their hands, allowing them to quickly process orders or respond to customers.Virtual private networks can also be set up on mobile devices. These provide a reliable and an easy-to-access way of retrieving emails, documents and reports on the go, minimising paperwork at the office.  For example, in the United States doctors are using Samsung’s new tablet device, the GALAXY Tab, to access patient information, electronic medical records and instant insight into x-rays, sonograms and other image visualisations to reduce time and improve patient responsiveness and decision making. Another example might be a financial adviser receiving customised key financial information as it occurs.And if a business has a large deployment of mobile devices, the management of them becomes critical. We recommend using comprehensive Microsoft Exchange Active Sync features, enabling businesses to manage mobile devices remotely – such things as passwords, address lists, location of handset, whether or not the user can access WiFi, or the camera on the handset, and much more.While it may sound complex, establishing a mobile workforce solution is relatively simple. Users can implement new mobile technology at their own pace and integrate it with their current IT system.The business world has never been more competitive and a core mobility strategy is crucial for your customers to keep up with their competitors.