Mobile Working - The Ideal Solution For Those on the Move

Mobile Working - The Ideal Solution For Those on the Move By Victoria Cochrane Victoria Cochrane Level: Platinum Victoria Cochrane is a freelance writer for both online and print media. She lives with her husband and son, and enjoys travelling when not writing....

Ten years ago effective mobile working was in its infancy and presented an entirely different proposition. First, you needed the physique of a bodybuilder to carry all the necessary equipment, especially huge batteries and secondly you could only effectively perform mobile working if you could obtain access to a wired internet access. It was also incredibly expensive and data transfer rates were laboriously slow.

However, in little under a decade we no longer have to haul around a heavy laptop and metres of cable to stay in touch with the office as mobile working has been entirely transformed by devices such as the smart phone and PDA, and the introduction of cost-effective mobile tariffs.

The advent of the mobile broadband dongle has also meant that it is easier to access the internet from wherever there is a mobile phone signal available using a laptop. Because 99% of the UK benefits from mobile phone coverage that means there are only a few remote places where you will ever be out of touch with the office.

However, it is smartphones and PDAs that offer all the convenience of a mobile phone with added functionality that are really revolutionising mobile working. They allow for the downloading of business applications, and offer internet access for web surfing and emails. Using either touch screens or full Qwerty keyboards as user input these devices are easy to operate and carry. In addition, batteries are so much more efficient than they were a decade ago so the amount of time between charging can be extended.

Devices such as the iPhone and BlackBerry allow many business users to take their office with them, wherever they are, but they also are becoming must-have devices for those who perform the majority of their work out on the road, such as sales and technical support people.

Other reasons why mobile devices are becoming so popular include the ability to download a choice of applications, some specifically related to the working needs of the user. More advanced models can also have specialised software uploaded which integrates into the company's systems. The fact that monthly charges for roaming and web browsing have reduced significantly over the last two years has also helped with the widespread adoption of mobile devices.

Whether you are mostly office bound or whether you are based on the road and need to keep in touch, mobile devices mean that you can!