5 Reasons Small and Medium Businesses Should Choose Zebra over Consumer Devices
Small and growing businesses often consider consumer smartphones and tablets as a low-cost way to put mobile devices in their workers’ hands. Here’s five reasons why that can be a big mistake.
As the digital revolution works its way into every corner of business, small and medium-sized businesses often find themselves on a different playing field than their enterprise competitors. Generally speaking, large businesses can direct a lot more resources toward new technology than smaller companies. Whether you’re talking about money, time or people, the big players just have a lot more to play with.
Successful small businesses aren’t as focused on keeping up with bigger competitors. However, they know it’s more productive to focus on squeezing more value and impact out of the resources they are able to obtain than fretting about those they don’t have access to.
When it comes to mobile tools, that thinking often leads small and growing businesses to consider consumer smartphones and tablets as a low-cost way to put mobile devices in their workers’ hands. But here’s five reasons why that can be a big mistake:
1. Up-Front Cost
First, don’t overlook your ability to acquire enterprise-level devices for virtually the same cost as less-capable consumer devices. For example, Zebra’s TC2X Series mobile computers let you step up to business-class performance, durability and security without stepping up in price. Similarly, a consumer tablet might have a lower base price. But, by the time you add the accessories you need to enable mobile barcode scanning or improve durability, you’ll probably find that Zebra’s ET4X Series rugged tablets deliver a better value with all the features you need, right out of the box.
2. Durability
Zebra’s TC2X Series mobile computers and ET4X Series rugged tablets are engineered for lasting durability, requiring no added protection to withstand the handling and conditions that are common in industrial, retail and healthcare workplaces. They feature enhanced sealing for protection against dust and moisture, and they’re tested to survive drops onto concrete. To get anything approaching that level of protection in a consumer device, you’ll need to add a rugged case or boot at an additional cost.
3. Simplified Device Management
Zebra business-class mobile computers and tablets also offer tools that make them much easier for your IT staff to manage. Zebra’s mobile device management tools make it easy for small IT teams to achieve enterprise-level control, including staging a handful or thousands of devices in seconds, controlling access to apps, managing security settings and configuring updates – all in a fraction of the time required to manage consumer-grade devices.
4. Power Management
Another detail where business-class devices usually stand apart from consumer devices is power management. Zebra’s TC2X Series mobile computers and ET4X Series rugged tablets are engineered with standard batteries that deliver full-shift performance. Optional extended-life batteries are available to support long or double shifts. Plus, Zebra devices feature removable batteries, so you never have to take a device out of service to change the battery – and you won’t be stuck with declining battery performance that’s so common with aging consumer devices.
5. Longer Hardware Lifecycle
Obsolescence is inevitable when you buy consumer mobile devices that typically have 12-month upgrade cycles. That’s bad news for any business: you’ll introduce a different model into your fleet on an annual basis, creating an ongoing device management headache, and every time a worker checks out a device, there’s a good chance it won’t be the same model they used the previous day. On the other hand, Zebra’s devices are engineered for a lifecycle of at least six years, with complete support and security upgrades throughout. That makes them much easier to support and gives your frontline workers consistent experiences from shift to shift.
Today, no matter how big your business is, your workforce must have the ability to stay connected wherever work takes them. That requires a significant investment in technology, so it makes sense to ensure every penny you budget for mobile devices can deliver maximum value. When you look at the whole picture, it’s pretty clear that the best choice is a business-level device.