Enterprise mobility – the way it should be

Information is the lifeblood of any modern enterprise. Getting information to employees at the frontline of the business in a timely manner and in the form they need it can help them be far more productive, responsive and profitable.

“Mobile technology makes all of this possible. The flexibility it brings not only helps employees to be more productive but organisations have the potential to transform the way they do business. Mobile technology is an enabler to increase revenue, to improve customer service, to cut costs and to make business processes more efficient.”
-Birdstep Technology

We know that today more and more business is being conducted at the operational front lines – in front of customers and citizens – and with the introduction of more flexible working practices many people want to be able to do their jobs at the time and place that is most convenient for them.

Mobile technology makes all of this possible. The flexibility it brings not only helps employees to be more productive but organisations have the potential to transform the way they do business. Mobile technology is an enabler to increase revenue, to improve customer service, to cut costs and to make business processes more efficient.

Complicated and frustrating?

Today’s laptops are increasingly equipped with multiple network connectivity options including Ethernet, Wi-Fi and 3G, but the use of static VPNs, which rely on consistent connectivity, in such a dynamic environment is problematic. With traditional VPNs, switching between these networks automatically is not possible and the VPN session will need to be re-authenticated whenever the device connects to a new network or temporarily loses network connectivity. This scenario can also cause active applications to hang or crash, resulting in a frustrating user experience, poor productivity and helpdesk calls. With this in mind, a new category of VPN designed specifically for the unique environment of mobile users has emerged – the mobile VPN.

Enabling secure, seamless connectivity with Mobile VPN

Mobile VPNs allow users to connect securely to an organisation’s internal network over both fixed and wireless networks as well as move between them without breaking the secure VPN tunnel.

When you run a networked application in the office, e-mail for example, that application assumes that the network is: fast, always available, totally reliable, free-to-use and secure. However when a mobile user switches on a laptop or a smartphone, most or all of these assumptions made about the network are no longer correct.

Let’s take the example of a salesperson connecting to a company’s CRM system from a hotel lobby. They may have to rely on a GPRS or 3G connection which can have patchy reception causing the network to operate slowly and less reliably or not at all. Or they may choose to connect to a Wi-Fi HotSpot which can be a complicated process with its own security risks. Users should not be impacted by these frustrations, yet most people have experienced the inconvenience of applications crashing and data loss resulting in having to re-boot or call support. Ideally the connection should continue to function as if it’s not been interrupted. If these issues are not addressed users can simply find the systems too cumbersome and unreliable and many of the benefits will go unrealised.

Mobile VPNs therefore need to go further than simply providing a secure connection for mobile systems. They also need to cope with users moving between fixed and mobile networks throughout the day and provide seamless connectivity across all of them. Mobile VPNs need to hand off a connection without the user being aware of it and without the service being interrupted. Allowing applications to cope with changing networks and gaps in wireless coverage so users enjoy a genuinely LAN-like experience is the best way to ensure the most positive, productive experience possible.

Mobile VPNs have also been designed to minimise the communications costs incurred for wireless access and, in particular, data roaming costs. It is well known that mobile data use can result in significant network charges and stories of 3G “data roaming shock” abound. By removing the choice of network from the user, who is rarely motivated or sufficiently knowledgeable to ensure the cheapest connection method is used, a mobile VPN automatically prioritises Wi-Fi over 3G for faster, more reliable and less expensive connectivity.

So the goal of a mobile VPN is to address the common connectivity, security and productivity challenges that today’s mobile workers face by removing the complexity and improving the reliability of wireless networks.

Conclusion

Mobility is no longer a novelty for innovators and early adopters. It has entered the mainstream and organisations that want to get ahead must embrace it - not to mention that with a technologically progressive and flexible work environment, there is more potential to compete for the best employees.

Users, accustomed to reliable mobile broadband at home, no longer accept a low quality of service just because they are working wirelessly. They expect technology to work for them as it does when they are sitting at a desk – a LAN-like experience. Organisations therefore need to ensure that what they deploy for wireless and mobile working is fit for purpose and does not make life more challenging for their users.

The ever-increasing number of options for mobile connectivity has given rise to the need for a single solution to cut away the complexity and to control cost. It is in response to these challenges that mobile VPN has become a standard component of an enterprise-class mobile infrastructure. A mobile VPN is an important enabler for business at the front lines and for the provision of secure information solutions that comply with regulatory requirements. A mobile VPN solution that provides all the elements discussed in this article goes a long way towards ensuring that the business benefits of an investment in mobility are fully realised. For more information about high-quality Mobile VPN solution, please visit www.birdstep.com.