For firms on the lookout for ways to increase worker productivity, wireless computing can seem like a top solution. But with training, technical support and other factors to consider, such a move involves more than just buying the technology. Jennifer Hamm reports.

The Economist Intelligence Unit recently released a white paper indicating that 41 percent of companies have already begun using wireless LANs and 38 percent are considering whether or not to implement this kind of technology in the future.

The same report, which surveyed 309 companies, found that of the organisations that have deployed this kind of technology, only 35 percent offer initial training and 54 percent have help desks to answer questions or address user concerns.

"How to manage and motivate people in this kind of environment is a key issue and there are interesting signs in the survey to show that management hasn't really caught up yet," said Gareth Lofthouse, Senior Editor of the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Firms can be reluctant to talk about what they are – or are not – doing for their employees using mobile computing technology. A number of major companies contacted by Expatica HR declined interview requests on this subject.

But at Philips, 30,000 employees use some type of mobile technology, such as laptops and mobile phones. Of those, a small portion use wireless technology. Most of them receive basic training and have access to a help desk.

"The initial training for mobile LAN systems doesn’t take more than ten minutes," said Idso Brouwer, a vice president who manages enterprise communications & collaboration at Philips, Corporate IT.

The help desk is an essential component to using the technology, he said. It receives frequent calls with questions most often related to how the wireless network can be accessed from home, the airport or a hotel.

"Those are the most important issues," Brouwer said. "They really want to use it [the technology] away from the office."

At Atos Origin, an international IT services company, employees using mobile computing technology also go through training and have access to a help desk. Because they are often selling the products they use, the training programmes and supplemental support is a necessity.

"Everybody is trained," said Peter C.A. De Jong, director of mobility. Their philosophy is: "know what you sell."

When Atos Origin employees do face technical difficulties, they can call an international help desk. If the help desk can’t answer the question, a specialist is called. Without this service available, "it would be a mess," said De Jong.

But to Brouwer at Philips, a help desk should not be necessary to answer basic questions about mobile LAN use.

"It should be Plug and Play and easy to use," he said. “If you go to a network or a hotel, there are various implementations. That should be more transparent.”

According to Brouwer it’s up to the manufacturer to create seamless roaming. "Otherwise people are going to say that it is too cumbersome to use, to move from one network to another network," he said.

Mobile computing helps employees to be more productive. Still, there is more to be done to make technology a more utilized asset in the workplace.

"An increased effort needs to be made to advertise the available technology to the 160,000 Philips employees," said Brouwer.

"It is such a large company. It is difficult," he said. "How do we communicate to such a large user base and market the effectiveness of the tools?"

Six months ago, an initiative was launched to "thoroughly embed" information about all IT tools in the new employee training, Brouwer said. This has made a difference and it is hoped that the newer employees will be an example to the veterans.

"There are employees who work 10, 15, 20 years [for Philips] who may not be familiar with all of the new technology," said Brouwer. “We are trying to motivate these employees.”

The push towards using more wireless computing technology is about making employees more productive.

"The ultimate goal," said Brouwer, "Is to have better communication, to have people more productive and quicker to respond to issues."

But can a drive for more efficiency eventually lead to burn out? Despite the flexibility and increased efficiency that mobile computing makes possible, some analysts are concerned mobile workers will have more of their personal time imposed on by the pressure to keep producing.

Employers also appear to worry whether employees can be left to their own devices. A survey commission by technology consultancy LogicaCMG last year found that 45 percent were concerned about self-discipline. And of the companies surveyed in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands, 46 percent reported they had no tools to monitor their mobile staff.

The training that is in place, according to the survey, focuses largely on the technology, rather than on using it effectively in terms of time management and communication.

February 2004

Jennifer Hamm is a freelance journalist who lives in the Utrecht area of the Netherlands.