IT managers must provide clear usage policies and
address issues of infrastructure, training and support if mobile
operations are to run smoothly. John Kavanagh
reports.
Bolivia is a long way from home for scientists at BG Group, a
division of British Gas involved in the development, management and
supply of gas around the world. As they explore for new gas
sources, they need mobile technology that works efficiently and is
easy to use.
Not many companies have staff as far flung as BG Group, but its
needs will be recognised by any organisation with mobile staff. BG
Group identified constant access to e-mail, intranets and the
internet as an essential minimum. The company says, "It would be a
risk to the business if users became stranded."
BGGroup's 1,200 mobile users, ranging from scientists to sales
people, have a choice of devices and types of connection. For
example, some developing countries where its staff are based are
leapfrogging fixed-line upgrades and going to wireless.
Security is unobtrusive and based on a standard package from
iPass. Training on mobile working is available via an intranet, and
the whole package is easy to use, BG Group says.
Addressing ease of use and training issues - and having usage
policies that are recognised and enforced - makes life easier for
IT departments and keeps things running smoothly.
"It is essential that companies implement mobile policies and
procedures, and enforce them consistently, so that users understand
what they can and cannot do when using company-owned kit," says
Chris Minchin, manager at the Federation Against Software
Theft.
"For example, businesses must include all remote devices in
their software audits to ensure they are legally compliant and not
presenting any risk to the company with unlicensed software or
illegally downloaded files."
Minchin says policies should ideally cover issues such as who
uses a mobile laptop, otherwise family members might download
viruses or illegally copied software or music, making the company
liable.
Users should be aware of other people watching their screens as
they use their laptops on planes and trains or in public places.
They must also be drilled in making sure they do not leave their
mobile devices in taxis or bars, for example.
Policies also need to cover appropriate and inappropriate use,
says James Carmody, employment specialist at law firm Sprecher
Grier and Halberstam. "It is imperative to make clear what is or is
not acceptable use of mobile technology," he says. "An exchange of
text messages could be evidence of a binding agreement; a message
sent as a joke could land a business in serious trouble."
In one of Carmody's cases a gay man obtained the mobile phone
number of a male colleague from staff records and anonymously sent
flirtatious text messages. He was sacked for breaking the company's
data protection policy and for sexually harassing a colleague, and
then claimed sexual orientation discrimination.
Carmody says, "It is as important to apply standards and
policies to mobile communications as to any form of business
communication. Make sure staff are aware that if they are working
offsite they must still comply with the organisation's normal
policies and procedures."
This last point is underlined by Rajesh Sinha, technical
director at systems integrator Bailey Teswaine. "Policies may need
revisiting and communicating again, because staff who are mobile
and perhaps working outside office hours may feel that normal
policies do not apply," he says.
Creating company-wide policies and procedures, rather than
letting people drift into mobile working, is important for making
employees aware of their responsibilities, says Conrad Simpson,
managing director of consultancy Newell and Budge Security.
"Effectively managing mobile computing means understanding where
and how information is stored in your organisation, and making sure
that people, processes and policies are all working together to
protect it," he says.
"Issue all mobile users with a policy covering the handling of
company information on both their own and company-owned equipment.
Make sure you include guidelines on wireless access, user-owned
devices and personal use. Also, give security awareness training,
implement data classification, and ensure sensitive information is
strictly controlled.
"All mobile access should be logged, with enough detail to
identify the user, the access time, connection duration and what
systems were accessed. Enforce the authentication of users before
they access mobile devices or connect to the network. Scan all
information for malicious software before it is stored on a mobile
device or the corporate network.
"You should also configure devices to automatically update their
anti-virus software before connecting to the network. Data held on
mobile devices should be regularly backed up in case of equipment
failure or theft. And software running on mobile computers should
be centrally managed."
Staff going mobile need to be prepared in other ways too,
according to a survey of UK mobile workers by IBM and the Economist
Intelligence Unit.
A key finding of the research was the need for skills in working
independently: 79% of those surveyed said this was the most
important aspect of mobile working. Then came organising work tasks
(77%), collaborating remotely (69%) and setting personal goals and
sticking to them (61%).
Twenty-five per cent of people cited training as one of the top
three ways that companies could help mobile staff; and 33% said
training for their managers back at the office would be useful
too.
Trust was a big issue: nearly 50% of mobile workers felt their
colleagues questioned their effort and contribution. Related issues
included a feeling of being left out of key meetings and decisions
(30%); few opportunities for impromptu but useful meetings, such as
at the coffee machine; and difficulty in separating home and work
life (61%).
"Working remotely requires an extended set of personal skills to
compensate for the lack of a traditional office structure," says
IBM researcher Eric Lesser. He also highlights the finding that 52%
of people said the ability to fix technical problems with their
mobile systems was important.
"Being technologically savvy was often viewed as a practical
necessity, given the state of mobile working technology in many
organisations, and appears to pay dividends," says Lesser. "One
person commented, 'Polish the technical package to the last detail
so that employees do not have to worry about the technical set-up
or things like security'."
Lesser adds, "Without a reliable, easy-to-use infrastructure,
mobile technology quickly becomes an impediment rather than a
driver of enhanced productivity."
Support certainly becomes an issue, which companies need to sort
out urgently - and not by leaving it to their network operator,
says Phil Whitlock, head of service management at IT skills
supplier Plan-Net.
"From a user perspective, mobile devices are simply an extension
of the existing corporate infrastructure," says Whitlock. "They
expect their mobile devices to be supported in the same way as
wired equipment, with an equivalent level of service, by the
in-house support team. But few support staff have mobile data
expertise and, with the rapid pace of this technology change, there
is a lack of real experience of these new mobile devices.
"As a result, it is estimated that 75% of mobile data problems
reported to the in-house team are escalated to the mobile network
operator, yet fewer than 20% relate to network problems. Most are
user issues with the device itself, with synchronisation or
configuration, or problems with the user organisation's IT
infrastructure created by the introduction of mobile computing.
"Should it really be the network operator's responsibility to
undo problems caused to laptop settings by the addition of a
wireless card, or explain why synchronisation between a Blackberry
and a PC has failed? Mobile computing is an extension of the IT
infrastructure, not the mobile telephone boom.
"Offering a 25% first-line fix rate, when the traditional
benchmark is 60% or more, seems extraordinary, especially as mobile
users are likely to be senior management or client-facing field
staff, who risk being left without vital technology."
If companies lack mobile support skills, Plan-Net suggests using
a "co-sourcer", which provides its own permanent staff to carry out
support. This could be a long-term arrangement or a short-term
solution to get mobile computing set up and provide support until
the organisation builds up its own skills.
Support and security both depend to an extent on knowing how
many devices are out there, what sort they are and who is using
them for what applications, says systems management specialist
Altiris.
"The recent surge in mobile devices connecting to the network
adds yet another layer of complexity to enterprises'
architectures," says Altiris principal consultant Paul Butler.
"Mobile management software will track, manage and secure the
growing number of mobile devices, making it a vital part of any
company's mobile operations. Such software often allows IT
directors, managing a heterogeneous computing environment, to
remotely manage handheld devices from the same console as is used
for desktop, laptop and IT asset management, providing a holistic
view of all IT assets and their status. This can dramatically
reduce the security risk."
Getting all the technical and other policies, training and
support in place might look like a challenge, but the rewards are
great, according to a study of total ownership costs commissioned
by Research In Motion, supplier of Blackberry handheld devices. It
says, "Every working day each Blackberry user recovers over twice
the monthly IT time investment through personal productivity
alone."
Case study: headhunters benefit from a standardised
approach
A standardised approach to mobile computing has made life easier
for users and enabled the IT department to gain control, says
executive headhunting company Whitehead Mann Group.
"The 235 consultants had a variety of mobile phones and laptops,
which put a strain on the network," says operations and IT director
Rob Andrew. "We needed a standardised approach."
Whitehead Mann settled on Palm Treo 600 smartphones linking via
the Orange network and using Good Technology's Goodlink software
for managing mobile e-mail and other tasks: it synchronises with
Microsoft Outlook.
The mobile package is being rolled out in phases: 90 staff in
the UK have been equipped and the company's French operation is
next.
Whitehead Mann's consultants are much more responsive to client
requests and have increased efficiency, the firm says. With contact
details and diaries on their mobile devices they can make
appointments and react to requests immediately, portraying an
efficient image.
Consultants also enjoy a stronger sense of freedom and
flexibility, without added pressure, the company says. Having
access to e-mails at all times does not necessarily mean working
out of hours; it is about having access to information instantly,
when needed.
The standard approach has cut costs. Most consultants no longer
need laptops: they just need to keep on top of things while out of
the office. An office PC coupled with a wireless device is
enough.
Andrew says the IT department has more control over the network.
"The system can be deployed and upgraded wirelessly, and security
standards are high, thanks to features such as erase and restore
for lost or stolen devices.
"Employees really enjoy using the system: as well as improving
service to clients it is incredibly easy to use and is modern and
trendy to boot."