Johannesburg, 10 Apr 2008
Just when you've finally become "mobile", IT vendors start speaking about "ultra-mobility"! While these new devices - smaller than a standard notebook but bigger than a PDA - will no doubt eventually make their way into South Africa, Adele Oosthuizen, category lead: HP PSG Platform, Axiz, says that when it comes to mobility, users still want three things: security, ease of use and reliability.
Being "mobile" is not as generic a term as people often think. While many companies have started rolling out mobile solutions in response to load-shedding, the notebook market in particular was already experiencing high growth prior to this. The increased demand was user-driven, and predominantly thanks to the benefits of being able to work anywhere at any time. What most users entering the market soon became aware of, however, was that there are varying degrees of mobility. While some people wanted to keep their big screens, others wanted something small and compact - ideal for travelling. These latter users are the ones most likely to see the appeal in "ultra-mobility".
At Axiz, we've seen this specifically in terms of HP's small form factor notebooks. The HP Compaq 2710p and HP Compaq 2510p are perfect examples of solutions for people on the move. The 2710p is an ultra-thin convertible tablet with a primary battery life of over five hours - which you can boost with the addition of an HP Ultra-Slim Slice battery (giving you up to 12 hours of total battery life). The 2510p on the other hand is the smallest and lightest HP business notebook, coming with a range of battery options from a three-cell (four hours of work time) to a nine-cell (12 hours of life).
No matter what your personal requirements are, however, there are three basic needs that your mobile - or ultra-mobile device - must meet: security, ease of use and reliability. While vendors have responded to these in a variety of ways, HP has ensured they are pre-requisites in all of its notebooks in the form of its HP Professional Innovations suite. In terms of security alone, these innovations protect your data; and prevent unauthorised access, and illegal and unwanted software. They additionally protect against viruses and deploy patches as required.
This type of innovation proves that the mobile space will remain a dynamic and thriving one for many years to come - despite the appearance of smaller devices. And, while ultra-mobility will add a new and exciting aspect to the offerings available, I believe that security, ease of use and reliability should still remain the deciding factors when it comes to finding the device that is right for you.
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