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Agency Mobility Made Easy

Federal agencies can hone their mobility strategies.

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Brad is a contributor to FedTech. He’s covered technology since 1991, when he first got his start in the industry.

Mobility today is a critical factor in enabling effective government, from the Defense Department to the Census Bureau. Whether used to support telework policies or facilitate emerging applications in the field, mobile devices allow agencies to work smarter and more efficiently.

But successful mobility initiatives require planning and a thorough understanding of the technologies and processes required to maintain a secure, productive mobile workforce. By some measures, 90 percent of federal workers use mobile devices in their jobs, but a mere 11 percent of those devices are considered secure.

To reap the full benefits of a mobility program without compromising information security, agencies should follow a few basic steps:

Plan — Mobility requires a set of policies and plans, spelling out reasonable terms, conditions and capabilities. It also requires network resources capable of supporting a truly mobile workforce.
Enable — Whether it’s adopting a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) strategy or provisioning agency-acquired devices, getting the right mobile tools into the right hands is important.
Protect — Using centralized security and management tools, agencies can ensure data remains protected, whether it resides on in-house resources or on the devices themselves. The right tools can also help manage what apps and information employees load on work devices and how they use them.
Support — Smartphones and notebooks are computers, too, and if the agency isn’t equipped to solve users’ technical problems, a mobility effort could grind to a halt.
Empower — After all the pieces are in place, a robust mobility program can change the way people work, from how they collaborate to the resources they bring to bear through virtualized desktops, customized apps and procurement pages, as well as other cutting-edge systems.

Agencies that have implemented mobile computing know that it’s no small undertaking when it’s done properly. To support them, CDW’s Technology Insights app now features the Total Mobility Management interactive guide. Whether your agency is just starting out, or your IT staff is expert in the deployment of mobile computing, Total Mobility Management offers guidance, case studies, videos, white papers, multimedia links and more, all tailored to your needs.

The CDW Tech Insights App is available on the following devices:

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