The mobile workforce grows: Enterprise support needed

Mobile devices, virtual desktops and the ability to access critical resources from any location via an Internet connection have all changed the way today’s employees work. Now that staff members aren’t tethered to on-premises systems and applications, they’re free to travel, work from home or complete tasks from a nearby coffee shop. Whatever the case, the bottom line is the same: The mobile workforce has grown considerably in recent years, and is poised to expand even further in the near future.

Expert predictions

Back in 2012, IDC predicted that the global population of mobile workers would reach 1.3 billion by 2015, making up more than 37 percent of the total workforce. At that time, eWEEK reported that there were 182.5 million mobile workers in the Americas region, which includes the United States, Canada and Latin America.

“Mobility has become synonymous with productivity both inside and outside the workplace, and the mass adoption of mobile technology in the United States has cultivated an environment where workers expect to leverage mobile technology at work,” said IDC research analyst Bryan Bassett. “This expectation will be supplemented by new solutions specifically intended to manage the challenges associated with the growing needs of the mobile workforce.”

Mobile workforce brings new challenges

While enabling employees to work remotely comes with numerous advantages – including increased productivity and flexibility – this new style of working also brings a range of new challenges that enterprise leaders must address.

Chief among these obstacles is the need for continual communication and access to critical resources. In order for a mobile workforce initiative to be successful, supervisors must ensure staff members can securely access the same applications and materials that they can connect with at the office. In addition, it’s critical that while employees work away from company headquarters, they remain in contact with their managers.

Mobile employees must have solutions that support the flexible nature of their work.

The solution: Mobile Workspaces from Citrix

In order to address these issues and ensure that a mobile workforce can bring success to the business, it’s important to have the right solutions in place.

Citrix, a leader in enterprise IT solutions, has everything your company needs to properly support its mobile workers. Mobile Workspaces that include solutions for mobile app and cloud access, collaboration and security capabilities empower employees to be productive and remain connected even when they’re away from the office.

Citrix’s unique Mobile Workspaces include secure, mobile access to Windows apps and virtual Windows desktops on any device. In addition, the solution also includes GoToMeeting collaboration capabilities, optimized network security through NetScaler and Citrix’s CloudPlatform.

To find out more about how Citrix Mobile Workspaces can support your enterprise’s mobile workforce, contact iT1 Source, a top-tier Citrix Solution Advisor, today.