What’s the meaning of the mobile workspace?

The concept of a “mobile workspace” is based on the promise of being able to work anywhere, on any device, over any connection. This scenario is quite different from the traditional understanding of the workplace as a single, physical location where you go to do your job—like your grandfather, or even your father or mother, was accustomed to.

Of course, there are still plenty of people (maybe you?) who head for an office building or factory or store every workday. But even these workers are being affected by the groundswell of demand for the flexibility, freedom, choice and efficiency that mobility can deliver. People want to use their personal mobile devices to do work tasks—because it’s convenient and comfortable. They want to collaborate virtually instead of traveling constantly and missing out on family time. They want to be able to match a task—say, creative thinking—to their most productive scenario, which might be late at night in their pajamas.

Different strokes

The best way to fulfill these requests is by implementing a mobile workspace where everyone receives secure, IT-managed access to the business applications, IT services, tools and colleagues they need to get their job done—from any location, device or connection. That’s the umbrella description. But what a mobile workspace actually looks like can vary by industry. For example:

For healthcare organizations:

• Mobile workspaces give clinicians and other roaming workers secure, HIPAA-compliant access to critical patient information in the hospital, the clinic, the office or at the patient’s home. They can use any web-enabled device, from an iPad to a workstation. The benefits? Better medical decisions, more time with patients, greater efficiency to drive down healthcare costs.

For financial services companies:

• Mobile workspaces allow financial planners, investors, insurance agents and other workers to consult with clients and roam the trading floor while protecting confidential information and complying with strict regulations. Advantages include on-the-spot transactions, an enhanced client experience and flexibility to accommodate global financial markets.

For public utilities:

• Mobile workspaces make it easy for field staff to use a tablet or smartphone to complete work orders, send pictures and access real-time data and graphics without having to travel to an office. Why mobility? Employees can optimize customer service, boost efficiency, especially during outages, and make better-informed decisions.

For government agencies:

• School districts can give students, teachers and staff on-demand access to educational apps and resources outside the classroom to promote independent learning. Federal, state and local governments can quickly coordinate responses from the field in the event of a security issue or natural disaster. They can also save money by reducing staff travel. The result? Enhanced constituent services without budget increases.

IT as a Service

The big question, of course, is how to make the mobile workspace a reality. There are plenty of considerations:

• How to efficiently manage and secure corporate and personal mobile devices, apps and data—without driving the IT team crazy?
• How to collaborate in multiple dimensions—video, audio, screen sharing, document sharing?
• How to deliver the right resources to the right people with high performance and usability, regardless of the form factor?

That’s where technology partners like DynTek and Citrix come in. Using Citrix mobility solutions, DynTek helps organizations create mobile workspaces by enabling “IT-as-a-Service”. With this model, IT services and resources become automated, self-service clouds that employees can access securely from any device. Devices and information are managed centrally to increase IT efficiency and information security. Mobile workers can use their preferred devices wherever they are most productive and enjoy a high-performance experience.

Jump on the mobility bandwagon

The handwriting is on the wall. Mobility is a macro trend. Analyst firm IDC forecasts that the U.S. mobile worker population will grow at a steady rate over the next five years, increasing from 96.2 million in 2015 to 105.4 million mobile workers in 2020.

We’ll help you put together a plan to create a mobile workspace for your organization. Call 877-297-3723 or visit our website to learn more.