Preparing a tablet for the workplace

Companies of all sizes around the world are embracing tablet technology in hopes of boosting mobility and improving employee productivity.

The latter is especially important, as tablet computers have proven to be a disruptive technology -- both in the sense that they usher in big changes to the computer market and that they tend to distract employees. Therefore, before launching a tablet program, preparing mobile devices for the most productive usability is essential.

One step a company can take to tackle this obstacle is disabling certain functions that allow employees to download games and other distracting content onto their tablet computers. This strategy works on two levels, as it keeps employees from using company technology for non-work-related activity and also helps avoid the downloading of malicious applications.

Other companies may not want to go to this extreme, and may instead encourage employees to use the tablets for pleasure outside the office. In this instance, it would be beneficial to introduce a policy that sets rules about employee tablet usage both in and out of the office.

An October 2011 study from CIO Insight shows nine out of ten organizations with 50 or more employees are carrying out tablet adoption plans. As more companies deploy the technology, best practices will have to be developed to ensure they achieve their full potential.