Lately, users have been getting the newest and best mobile technology first. Sure, IT professionals might get an evaluation copy when a new innovation comes out, but their time is mostly spent setting up that tech for users. That’s where the budget goes, too. If new technology can increase user productivity, executives are almost always willing to invest in it. But when we think about technology that could make IT work faster, organizations often figure IT can just code its own version. Does the organization really need to buy it?
But investments in IT efficiency are smart investments for the entire organization. If we want to help IT admins in their task of running and keeping users connected to mainframes, servers and other vital technology, there are three mobile technologies we should be sure to provide those admins.
Secure Mobile Single Sign-On
Organizations constantly work to streamline users’ workloads and secure their access, but often leave IT admins with a dozen consoles to log into. In particular, decision-makers often tell admins working on older systems or servers that they’ll just have to log into those systems separately. On a mobile device, this can slow admins down enormously. Smart enterprises need mobile solutions that tie into enterprise SSO and give admins a break. Admins will be more efficient if they can get into, and switch between, their apps just like the rest of your users.
An Efficient User Interface
End-users won’t even look at a mobile app unless it has a comfortable user interface (and usually, a trendy, sleek one too). But organizations often expect IT admins to love command lines and scripts. Even if your IT admins are so good they dream about scripts, they’ll struggle to work with them on mobile devices. They can be more productive if they can use an interface they like. On a mobile device, a good interface can make the difference between a five-star app and an unusable one.
Productivity Features
IT admins are comfortable with many rarely used keys and functions that aid interaction with older technology, but finding those keys on a mobile keyboard, where a special character might be buried four taps deep, is even worse. If you want to free your IT admins, you need a mobile solution that puts the keys they use up front where they can find them easily.
We should give our IT admins the same mobile capabilities we give users. In fact, smart organizations will consider getting the best and newest technology to IT first. Then IT can explore how that tech can help the organization, and IT will be better able to enable new mobile advances and the productivity that comes with them.
About the Author
David Fletcher is a Senior Product Marketing Manager for Emulation and Maintenance with the Attachmate Corporation. David is an ambitious, energetic, results oriented business leader with expertise in analyzing, clarifying and directing the business of technical support.
