Tablets help Wisconsin officials save money down the road

Several local governments in Wisconsin are considering purchasing tablets as a way to improve work efficiency. Though the technology comes with a sizable investment, officials believe the tablets will save money in the future, the Green Bay Press Gazette reports.

According to the news provider, officials from De Pere City Council, the Brown County Board and others are looking into the new technology, primarily as a means of reducing reliance on paper, ink and postage.

De Pere has proposed spending $12,500 on tablet computers for selected staff members, which city officials say will reduce the amount spent on paper for copiers and printers by 10 percent in 2012.

Brown County is looking to invest $13,000 to provide board members with the portable computing devices. According to supervisor Carole Andrews, the tablets will be used to give board members greater access to agendas, email and other information.

Like private sector organizations, governments at all levels are investigating the potential impact of tablet technology on their day-to-day business activities. The US Department of Veterans Affairs, for example, has proposed a program that would put tablets and smartphones into the hands of 1,000 employees to increase efficiency and productivity.