Tablets are my favorite thing, and I know you do too. There are so many things to love about tablets – they’re thin, portable, and run the most innovative apps. Tablets will soon be the symbol of information technology. It is easy to imagine the pressure CIOs are feeling from early adopters (CEOs included), to have their IT department quickly support tablets and make tablets an integral part of the company’s business. CIOs must be cautious when deciding to support tablets, no matter how glamorous they may seem. There are 5 things CIOs should know about tablets.
Your Plan Is No Plan
A CIO cannot do anything but have no plan for how they want to handle tablets. It is not possible to manage an IT department by buying a truckload of tablets and handing them to employees. The tablet must be supported and taken care of just like any other IT device within the company. This is a lesson that every CIO in IT must learn.
You will need to convince employees that they can use tablets for their jobs. Many issues will arise, including simple policy issues or who is the owner of the table. Before you give the tablets to the rest, take the time to answer these questions.
What should people do with tablets?
Despite being very handy, tablets can’t do all the things that a laptop can . This could cause serious problems for your employees. The biggest problem is that not all apps that run on a laptop can run on a tablet.
A tablet’s display may be different than a laptop’s or a desktop computer’s. This can lead to information being displayed differently on a tablet than it is on a laptop or desktop PC. In some cases, information might be lost. A tablet without a keyboard or mouse may make it more difficult to complete certain tasks.
Where is the Software?
Now you have a brand new tablet in your hand. What will you do with this shiny new tablet? To run it , you will need software – the term “apps” is used in the terminology of tablets. Is the software you require available for your particular table?
There are many apps available for iPad in the Apple store, and many Android apps for Android-based tablets in the Android store. doesn’t seem to have all the apps that everyone needs . It’s important to research the products before buying. You may also need to create your own apps for the specialized functions your business uses.
Do You Really Want to Save Money?
Tablets are less expensive than laptops simply because they do less. CIOs must be careful not to fall for the cheaper price. To determine if tablets are actually saving money, you will need to run some numbers.
Replacement costs is one thing you need to be aware of. Due to software and hardware upgrades, tablets will need to be replaced approximately every 18 months. A tablet can also be broken very easily. You will need solid policies to guide you when you replace a tablet.
Mobility is Great, But You Need To Be Concerned About Security
To make a tablet useful for employees , it should have company data loaded . Tablets offer extreme mobility, which means company data can travel outside the office and could easily be stolen. To prevent this, you will need to have safeguards in place.
Another issue that you will have to address is whether employees install other apps on their tablets. It’s up to you to find a way to ensure that third-party apps don’t steal your company data, while your employees are playing “Angry Birds” knockoff games!
What Does This All Mean For You
The tablet is here! They are likely to be a positive thing over the long-term and increase the importance of information technology. They will increase productivity, and help companies get more precise and timely information into their databases faster. But, CIOs need to be aware that tablets have their own set of issues.
You will need to develop a plan as CIO for how your company will deal with tablets. The plan must be able to understand the tasks that tablets are best for and which ones they should not be used for. Along with software issues, cost of ownership issues must be addressed. Security, which was an issue for years, will be even more problematic with tablets.
Even if you wanted to, I don’t believe you can stop tablets entering the company. Instead, I suggest you learn the challenges you will face when it comes tablets and take the necessary steps. This will allow your company to take full advantage of the potential of tablets and not let tablets take advantage.
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