With the clamour surrounding the Windows 8 launch settled down, the question on many business decision-makers' minds is how this new operating system can be harnessed in their organisations.
This is according to Rudi Greyling, CTO and innovation director at Avanade SA.
Greyling says mobility has changed the way businesses operate; however, with the release of Windows 8, and its focus on combining the mobile and desktop computing experience, the process of mobility redesigning the workplace will only accelerate.
Mobility for the right reasons
The company recently conducted a global survey of nearly 600 C-level executives and IT decision-makers in 19 countries to find out how the workforce is changing in the new era of mobility.
More than 54% of companies reported that the majority of their employees use smartphones for basic work tasks such as reading e-mail, viewing online documents and managing calendar invitations. Some 61% of companies reported that the majority of their employees use personal computing devices in the workplace, with one third saying employees now use tablets for simple work-related tasks.
According to the report, companies are acknowledging this shift and are turning it into an advantage, as 20% of companies have changed four or more business processes to take advantage of the increased productivity and business opportunities offered by mobility.
Tech-savvy employees have high expectations, demanding swift and simple access to systems and data from anywhere, anytime and on any device. But how can companies ensure they are deploying Windows 8 for the right reasons? asks Greyling. Answering just a few simple questions can shed light on the process and ensure decisions are made for the right reasons.
According to Avanade, most companies use third-party mobile device management solutions; however, the company believes Windows 8 is changing this, as it supports mobile device management and allows companies to lock devices down, bring them under control and facilitate the deployment of enterprise-wide applications.
Challenges and solutions
Another big challenge for businesses today, Greyling notes, is connecting different mobile devices to SharePoint and controlling the devices employees bring to work.
"To simplify this process, Windows 8 software integrates with SharePoint, ensuring efficient and convenient access. Regaining control is ultimately about getting more of a handle on which devices your employees are using. The first step is implementing mobile device management. After that, if the company can influence the employee's choice of platforms by offering great line-of-business applications, this will in turn influence your employees' choice when buying a consumer device of their own," he concludes.
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