I read a recent report suggesting that a considerable % of SME's run their entire business on iPads/Tablets - almost shunning the office based PC systems.
It pointed out this reflects changes in business practices, acceptance of mobile technology but red flagged that many businesses are at real risk of their business failing if that device was lost / hacked etc
Also, with the amount of software available (often at very low price points), business owners selected on cost alone without understanding the longer term impact as they grow.
Security, both in terms of physical loss of data and malicious software / viruses was cited as a major concern that many do not cater for.
Have to say, although we run business software on both our Sever and iPad/iPhones I am probably lax at backing up (manually and/or automatically) as I found out when I sent my phone down the dual carriageway last year (I now have iCloud storage configured for us all). Apart fro the huge cost of replacing the phone (which cost more than a decent Dell Server!), it was the short term loss of data that freaked me.
So, hands up who recognises any of the above? Do you run your business on a Tablet? What Apps do you use? How do you ensure your data is secure ?
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Really easy and I'd hate to go back now.
More staff etc like you have would be more tricky I think
I've just had a visit from an insurance assessor and he had an iPad with bluetooth keyboard.
He took photos of damage to our property (we had a storm) and immediately posted them into a claim form page. He had a small bluetooth printer too (although he didn't use it).
I think mobile offices will become the norm for many.
I also think that personal clouds like Lima will help as part of this revolution.
Wouldn't ever go back to desktop systems now.
Accounts in the cloud, notes and photo's on the ipad, and backed up on icloud, clients, quotes and invoices in Jobber.
If I lose my phone, I lose any text message conversations, rest doesn't matter as it is backed up on icloud.
My laptop gets used a great deal, Chrome is backed up in the cloud on their servers anyway, so if it crashes it doesn't matter. Oh, Box.com and Dropbox are my other sources of storage online for manuals, spreadsheets etc.
The days of backing are gone - where I used to work we had to back up test data every day, DAT tapes, disks, CD's, DVD's, company servers, what a pain. Irony was that the technology used to backup became obsolete bit by bit. Retrieving data needed IT support and old kit, what a great system!!
Yes I personally work on i pad to run my business. Its very easy and secure.
Having two-factor authentication for such accounts is also worthwhile.
Quite right, as Scott says, days of backing up is over - everything is sync'ed in the cloud now.
Didn't realise that virus/malware was the biggest barrier to people using ipads for running a business. I do think the way some data is stored is a little lax (how many people have a spreadsheet with their usernames and passwords on, or use the same password for everything?)
In terms of apps, there are a number of VPN apps out there that you can use to secure your internet connection when you're sending confidential files, e.g. employee information or financial details - this greatly reduces the risk of it 'falling into the wrong hands'.
The two best apps for business I've ever used;
Slack
Evernote