Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
John Gallagher, Sr. Public Relations Manager
Are you an effective multi-tasker? Does multi-tasking make you more productive or less?
In this quarter’s Mobile Workforce Report we will be exploring how mobile technology enables us to multi-task, and if it is a good thing (more productive) or a bad thing (more scattered). Thanks to your answers, our Mobile Workforce Report gives the industry a better idea of how we work and use technology.
Our quarterly survey gets input from more than 3,000 mobile workers from around the world and we would like to include your feedback. And you will have a chance to win an iPad 2.
Take the survey >>
Tell us about:
- How often you are within range of a Wi-Fi network?
- Where do you feel most productive?
- How do you feel when you cannot connect?
- If you could use only one device, which one would it be?
- Do you use social networks personally, professionally or both?
- How many tasks do you manage at one time during your workday?
Take the survey for a chance to win an iPad 2! >>
Be part of our Mobile Workforce Report and Survey >>
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
John Gallagher, Sr. Public Relations Manager
Based on our studies on enterprise mobility and device trends, we have 5 Predictions going into 2012.
1. Mobile Workers on the Mobile Stack
As every knowledge worker adopts a mobile stack (the triumvirate of devices: smartphone, laptop, and tablet), the laptop will morph from a heavy, antiquated device, used only for desktop publishing and other back office applications, to include more lightweight tablet-like features. The real question will be if tablet innovation can push laptops out?
Perhaps, but tablets have some room to grow for this to happen. Tablet and smartphone adoption and advancement will continue to be key drivers behind mobile employee behavior. Smartphones will supplant cell phones in enterprises (how embarrassing to be the last employee in your department without a smartphone). In 2012, as the tablet market will continue to explode, number two and three tablet manufacturers will emerge to challenge Apple.
2. Technology can tip your balance
Work and life will remain imbalanced, as mobile employees learn to manage the work/life blend. As the ranks of mobile employees rise, workshifting will be the norm, as well as longer workdays and hyperconnectivity. This will have physical and mental tolls on some employees. While most will figure it out, some will need professional help.
3. IT’s strategic chance
The role of IT will change drastically with the rise of the mobilocracy. Strategic IT roles will remain, however tactical roles like IT help desk will be outsourced. The cost of help desk support and connectivity will be pushed down to departments, and employees will be encouraged to troubleshoot issues themselves. IT should focus on providing the backbone (negotiating rates, ensuring access exists, and removing barriers) but not necessarily paying for that backbone.
4. What you do; not where
The mantra in 2012 will be, “it’s not where you work, it’s what you do.” Offices will stand empty as more employees workshift or telecommute. Employees will take advantage of more flexible work policies which will become standard at most businesses.
5. You use it – you buy it
Mobile device liability will continue to shift to the individual. This will help grow the mobile workforce radically, and will help hasten the penetration of smartphones and tablets in the enterprise. Companies will take advantage of the mass deployment of these little computers among their workforce, and set policies to make it work for their own security and risk profile.
At the same time, this could create an outcry from employees as data plans get more expensive and limited. Employees may pick and choose how they use their personal devices for work (for example, not watching that mandatory training video on their smartphone). This may lead to a requirement of more enterprise funding of individual liable devices as data access costs and data throughput requirements for mobile applications increase.
For more on our reports:
Mobile Workforce Report (quarterly reports) >>
Well-Being of the Mobile Workforce >>
Subscribe to receive our next Mobile Workforce Report
Top 5 Predictions for 2012 and Beyond >>
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
John Gallagher, Sr. Public Relations Manager
Every quarter iPass releases its Mobile Workforce Report, which is an insightful indication of the trends and habits of mobile workers around the globe. We try to highlight the good, the bad and the ugly, and the bad recently raised its ugly head in a report out from leading academic author, Dr. Carolyn Axtell from the Institute of Work Psychology at the University of Sheffield in England.
“Overcoming the challenges of the dark side of mobility is essential for well-being and satisfaction in life and work,” said Axtell. “People should be careful to mentally detach from work and create strong work-home boundaries while their employers should find ways to enhance employee control, provide support and reduce the expectations on them to work long hours.”
While many mobile workers labour more hours than a 9-5 job there’s a fine balance between a few more hours and excessive (15-20 hours more a week) that can have a detrimental effect on well-being due to the increased demands, lower control and higher fatigue. These demands and stresses can have an impact on relationships. However, those people working fewer extra hours do have lower stress than those working longer hours which might be due to their ability to ‘switch off’ from work and recharge their batteries.
It appears there’s likely a law of diminishing returns with working excessive hours. While many people take pride in their work and enjoy their jobs, if actual objective performance of a person working excessive hours was measured there might be a levelling off in performance, or possibly even a drop in performance over time. Research on extended shifts has found decreased reaction times and reduced grammatical reasoning along with increased fatigue and errors after extended periods of working long shifts.
There are key recommendations included in the report and while some of the findings illuminate the darker side of being a mobile worker, it also explains the brighter side that many of us experience – a better work-life balance for one. The report really allows people to reflect and think about where people and organizations stand today within the mobile workforce. It’s also worth sharing with colleagues to see what improvements you and your organisation can do to improve the well-being of your workforce.
Download the report >>
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The Dark Side of the Mobile Workforce >>
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
John Gallagher, Sr. Public Relations Manager
LTE iPhone October 2012 or June 2013? Hedge your bets.
Over the last 18 months RCR Wireless – a US news publication that has been providing wireless and mobile industry news since ’82 – been holding a series of small conferences that attract both large and small industry players who are causing disruption in the market. RCR Wireless publisher, Jeff Mucci, oversaw yesterday’s conference in San Francisco that saw extended debate on the topic of Wi-Fi and LTE and what many said in the conference was a “symbiotic relationship.”
Barbara Nelson, CTO of iPass talked about whether 4G was enough and the relationship with Wi-Fi (more on this and slides below).
(more…)
RCR Wireless conference: hedge your bets on LTE iPhone >>
Tuesday, November 15th, 2011
John Gallagher, Sr. Public Relations Manager
A year ago we wrote about the rise of the millennial worker, the unprovisioned.
At that time, 85 percent of mobile workers had smartphones, but only 65 percent used their smartphone for work. At the same time, two-thirds of mobile workers were provisioned business smartphones by their employer, and one-third were allowed to use a personally-owned smartphone as a business smartphone.
In this quarter’s iPass Mobile Workforce Report, released today, we found that 95 percent of mobile workers have smartphones, and 91 percent use them for work– a 26 percent rise compared to 2010. But the big news is 8 percent –the number of mobile employees with provisioned smartphones has declined by 8 percent to 58 percent, and the number of mobile employees bringing their own smartphone for work has grown by 8 percent to 42 percent.
The loosening of corporate smartphone liability policies has led to mobilemania sweeping the enterprise. Mobile employees are no longer the elite; they are pretty much every knowledge worker with a smartphone, now allowed to access corporate resources. The mobile workforce is quickly becoming synonymous with workforce.
The other tipping point is that the iPhone has overcome the BlackBerry on its traditional enterprise turf, and Androids have nearly doubled marketshare in the enterprise to grab the number three spot. All illustrating the democratization of mobility — employees are choosing the devices that they want to use.
The rise of the mobilocracy is underway.
And this is not without consequences. When we say mobilemania, we mean mobile “mania.” More than half of mobile workers are self-admittedly emotionally attached to their smartphones. 40 percent of mobile workers with an emotional attachment to their smartphone would feel disoriented, 34 percent would feel distraught, and 10 percent would feel lonely without their smartphone for a week.
How does your company compare? Read the free report>>
Read the press release >>
Mobilemania Sweeps the Enterprise >>
