Everyone working in IT can appreciate the difficulty we all face in today's age of budget cutting, where "doing more with less" is key to survival. I'm a one-man IT shop in an industry that, during peak season, runs nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week harvesting, cooling, and shipping perishable produce. As with any other modern business, we rely on our IT system to make things work efficiently throughout the process. It is my primary responsibility to ensure this happens. If it doesn't, the costs can quickly add up in overtime pay and spoiled product. Fresh produce can't simply wait in the heat for an IT system to resume normal operation after a problem—it's imperative that it be cooled as quickly as possible after harvest.

This leaves me with two choices: practically live at the office, or find better ways to manage our infrastructure remotely. A laptop and a VPN connection can keep me connected in the best of circumstances—i.e., when I'm home or near a WiFi source—but this doesn't do much for my work/life balance. It's tough to lug a laptop into a movie theater or diner, much less expect to have WiFi in these locations. Traditional data plans for laptops that afforded a reliable signal via USB sticks and laptop cards were a little too pricey. To really untether myself, I needed something relatively cheap to buy, maintain, and operate that I could use virtually anywhere for instant access to our system. Enter the tablet PC.

The Choices

Tablets, like smartphones before them, are here to stay and are ever more accessible for every individual in your organization. Global tablet sales were around 17.4 million units in 2010 and were projected to hit somewhere around 63 million units by the end of 2011. By 2015, some estimates predict that tablets will make up about 60 percent of total PC purchases. If you aren't on the bandwagon (like it or not) soon, you're probably going to find yourself looking for a new job.

The major players in tablet operating systems include Apple, Google, Microsoft, and RIM. Two operating systems have rapidly risen to the most popular spots: Apple's iOS and Google's Android. Each has strengths and weaknesses and is worth consideration. Hardware selection and development options are two major differences. Android is open source and, as such, has many hardware options all running versions of the software. Applications can be developed and added to the device with little or no restriction regarding the device's use. iOS is available only on Apple's devices. The company strictly monitors application development and distribution, and only Apple-approved applications can be installed (legally) on the device. Thus, while you gain some extra comfort in the applications' security through Apple's more rigorous approval process, development is much more restrictive than on Android. Price point is also a major difference. The cheapest iPad 2 (the current model) is priced at $499, while tablets running Android can be found for as low as $100. Specs will, of course, vary, and you must consider your specific needs, such as operating system, processor, memory, and USB ports.

Tablets are powerful, convenient, and getting cheaper by the day. Learning to embrace them is imperative in order to manage security and compliance, in addition to software development and budgeting. As I faced both a work/life imbalance that was killing my ability to be at home, as well as a striking reality that I was going to have to support tablets in some way, shape, or form anyway, I decided to embark on a "tablet test." Boy, am I glad I did.

The Test

When I purchased my first tablet, I looked at a variety of features. First, I was concerned about security. Whatever tablet I ended up endorsing to my organization needed to meet some minimum standards if I was going to support using it, much less integrate the tablets into our infrastructure. (I discuss security in more detail below.) Second, it needed to be small, light, and have a very long battery life. Third, it needed to run the right applications—what good is an enterprise tablet if I can't use it for anything in my enterprise? Finally, it needed to be simple to operate—the last thing I needed was to add training overhead to my schedule.

Being the owner of an iPhone, I deemed the 3G iPad a logical first step because it appeared to meet most of my needs, and I already knew the operating system. As an added bonus, the most vigorous of my users (the sales department) largely owned iPhones. Between the iPad's built-in security and my ability to beef it up, I could see it working in our enterprise. Within about 20 minutes, I'd configured it and set up a secure VPN connection to the office. Five minutes later, I'd downloaded a 5250 client and was instantly able to remotely administer our system securely anywhere I had either a WiFi or 3G connection.

I work around an hour from where I live and the commute had always been a major hassle during our peak season. Not anymore. Save for a few moments of zero cellular service along the way, I can now pull off the road and fix a problem within minutes, where previously it would be up to an hour before I could solve it. While some issues don't need immediate attention, others pose huge problems and create bottlenecks for the whole operation. An hour's delay in shipping product because of a system issue could easily cost the company a great deal of money, as it would keep the entire workforce an hour later—on overtime or doubletime—waiting for shipping to resume so that fruit could be moved into cold storage. Now I can often solve problems in minutes.

Although I chose to purchase a tablet with a built-in 3G connection, there are a variety of options for staying connected. Tablets tend to be pricier when they include WWAN options, but WiFi is standard for most. Instead of spending extra for a built-in WWAN option, you can also pick up a mobile hotspot from most major wireless carriers and use it via the WiFi in the tablet. The best choice depends on how much data you'll transfer, how quickly that data needs to be transferred, and what your price range is. Mobile data plans typically vary depending on the rate of transfer (i.e., 3G or 4G) as well as the amount of data transfer you need (e.g., 250MB, 2GB, or more). At the end of the day, a built-in 3G WWAN made more sense for me because of my low data-transfer requirements (I have never exceeded the 250MB limit transferring text-based data) and the freedom from carrying around more than one gadget. For $15 a month, I get all the data I need with the ease I sought in carrying a single, small device around.

I also regularly use the tablet for simple monitoring of systems, messages, jobs, and the like while I'm at home. I can set up the device with monitoring on the screen while I'm cooking dinner, watching television, or reading a book. The moment a problem arises, I can jump into the system either from the tablet itself or a nearby PC (if I'm around one) and solve it without making anyone at the office wait. You might be asking, why not just use a PC or laptop to monitor? The answer: I may, but I certainly don't have to. The key is that when a PC for one reason or another won't work, I still can.

There are many product-specific apps that complement a variety of system administration packages. These include network monitoring tools such as the PRTG app from Paessler, system administration and performance tools that complement Halcyon management software, and availability apps that complement Maxava software.

As tablets' popularity soars, the variety of applications for them has expanded. I find that, as much as I try to cram knowledge into my brain, I can remember only so much. So I keep relevant documentation on the tablet that can help me fix or diagnose a problem remotely. It's as easy as swapping between an emulation session and a PDF for reference. The ability to keep everything I might need in one place is hugely beneficial. It's like taking an e-reader with all of your relevant documents and notes and adding a functional web browser and/or 5250 client (depending on why you're accessing the system).

Now, all this talk about how tablets have made my life vastly easier can't come without a few shortcomings. One thing I emphasize is that, for now, they are not a replacement for traditional desktops or laptops. A tablet works great for augmentation and quick tasks (or even more complex tasks, in a pinch), but it really shouldn't be thought of as a full replacement. The key advantages to me are size, weight, and flexibility. With those, though, come onscreen keyboards, dependence on cellular service (or WiFi), and largely more limited applications than I get on a full-blown PC. You can buy keyboards and such for tablets, and I have used a keyboard with great success to speed things along. However, the more you have to lug around with you, the less convenience you get from the device's small footprint, which was a primary selling point for my little experiment. I've avoided extra peripherals, but they are available.

An aspect of the tablet that I've only just begun to explore is developing applications for mobile workers. Development thus far has focused on web applications tailored for mobile browsing, which has been quite successful. Providing more dynamic and interactive mobile content is also slowly helping my users to better manage themselves, reducing overhead in my department over the long run. Since my most vigorous users and consumers of data are in the sales department, the first application we've worked through is a mobile version of the primary sales analysis tool that the staff uses in office. This tool lets them forecast estimated production against current orders while factoring in natural production differences such as size. With a mobile app, they can view and interact with this data on the go.

My test ended after trying only a single tablet. Since the iPad did everything I needed, I decided to call my experiment a success. However, that doesn't mean the iPad will meet everyone's specific requirements, and I expect Android tablets to creep into my pathway as our business needs change.

The Security Concerns

The first thing I thought about when considering a tablet was that this easily transportable device would also be a potential liability. What happens if security on the device and operating system is lacking? What happens if I have major compatibility issues? What happens if someone grabs it out of my lap and runs off?

Security is a burning question surrounding tablets. Namely: What new issues does the tablet revolution bring to an enterprise? As I mentioned above, this was the first thing I looked at when choosing a tablet. There are several important considerations here, but for me the overarching view that led me to join the revolution relatively early on was this: Tablets, like smartphones, are coming to the enterprise whether sanctioned or not. People are buying tablets and smartphones at an astronomical rate for personal use and will invariably bring them into the office. As with the advent of cloud computing, with applications and services as simple to set up as they are, we need to be ahead of the curve. I had heard a few mentions of tablets around the office before I took the proverbial jump off the cliff and decided I had little choice.

In the case of the iPad (as it's the platform I use), support for VPN is built into the operating system as well as in the SDK. VPN connections can be built into applications such that they are on-demand when the app requests data, but restricted (i.e., they require a user name and password before connection). Additionally, iOS fully supports certificate-based security from a development perspective.

One concern (which is always a worry with PC workstations, too) is users' ability to load unauthorized apps and unknowingly load malware into our network. A selling point to me was the iPad's use of sandboxing for applications, which limits the interaction among apps and thus limits the ability of malware to infect. Additionally, Apple approves applications only after the company inspects the code to ensure that it meets quality and security standards. This can be undone to some extent, however, through a process called "jailbreaking," in which applications not approved for distribution in Apple's App Store can be loaded onto the device. In light of this, education has been vital as we bring tablets further into our organization. Folks need to understand the vulnerability, and a strict security policy should be in place.

In the event that a tablet is lost or stolen (largely regardless of device type), there is functionality built in to perform remote wipes on most major mobile platforms. In most instances, you can also remotely locate the device, since it has a GPS in it. It's also possible to enforce passcodes, and I specifically looked for encryption of both data on the device and of data transfer. Other administrative policies can limit the ability to play games, to sync data to unapproved sources, to download and/or install apps, and to change configuration settings, as well as provide more granular administrative-level control.

As with any other new device in the enterprise, adding a tablet to your arsenal (or your company's) should not only start with lots of research, but also involve continued research. New OS releases and updates often open the door for new threats. The best way to protect yourself and your company is to remain vigilant and stay a step ahead.

The Bottom Line

A year after embarking upon my tablet journey, my boss asked what I thought about the experiment and whether I believed tablets made me more productive. My answer was a resounding: Without a doubt! Tablets are by no means the end-all answer to all your problems, but they sure make dealing with problems more convenient when you're in a not-so-convenient location.

The key to using tablets in our environment was deciding, to a large extent, what their role would be given our current infrastructure. The tablet's primary role for me was to provide a light, simple, and secure way to remotely manage the majority of our system in a pinch—I would in no way expect to manage everything from a tablet all day. The "Useful Apps" sidebar below lists some of the apps I use to manage my IT infrastructure via the tablet, including 5250 emulation, system and network monitoring, documentation storage and annotation, and other tools I've found useful.

In your environment, look at security first and establish whether the level of encryption for a given tablet and its OS meets your organizational or regulatory requirements. Then you'll need to analyze available applications and connectivity options—a tablet that doesn't connect you to the office or doesn't have applications you need won't be very useful. Most importantly, don't expect a tablet to solve all the world's problems. Tablets are simply another tool in my arsenal now, and mine fits in quite nicely when I'm trying to have something resembling a life outside the office.

Justin Porter is the director of technology for Westside Produce in Firebaugh, Calif. He began his IT career at Westside Produce in 2003 and reworked the entire infrastructure—top to bottom—to reflect modern standards and technologies that position the company for growth. Justin is active in the IBM i community, serving on a number of COMMON committees as well as being a leader of the Young i Professionals and serving on the COMMON America's Advisory Council (CAAC).

Useful Free or Low-Cost Apps