by Brianna Crandall — September 21, 2015—Mobile Work Exchange, a public-private partnership focused on demonstrating the value of mobility and telework, recently announced the results of a new study that explores the mobility behaviors of state and local (S&L) governments and provides perspective into their mobility strategies while plotting a path for mobile-readiness, with obvious effects on workspace design and utilization.
Commissioned by Citrix, the study found that today, 40% of S&L employees use mobile devices for some work-related tasks, and 65% of S&L information technology (IT) managers expect the number of mobile workers to increase in the next five years. However, many are stuck in first gear, with a majority (58%) reporting their agencies are not fully mobile ready, and that security (56%) and lack of budget (52%) remain top concerns for agencies going mobile.
Driving ahead: Mobility outlook
According to the report, state and local agencies are becoming increasingly mobile. Currently, 17% of S&L employees are eligible to telework, and 62% of IT managers surveyed say that their agency has adopted a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to support mobility. Agencies are gassing up for mobility with investments in secure remote connections, security enhancements, and mobile device management (MDM).
Mobile-ready agencies today experience life in the fast lane by gaining three additional hours of productivity per employee per week with significant improvements in productivity (61%), remote communication (49%), increased collaboration (43%), and business continuity (43%), the report found.
Overcoming roadblocks
Nearly 60% of S&L IT managers say that their agencies are not mobile ready and do not adequately provide the plans, tools, and support necessary to manage a mobile workforce. Additionally, only 40% of S&L operations can be maintained in a disaster, with telework being a limited part of agency Continuity of Operations plans (COOP), and fewer than one in five respondents — 17% — say their agency is both mobile and COOP ready.
For many, security remains a top concern, with 56% citing it as a challenge; other concerns include lack of budget (52%), lack of technology infrastructure (48%), management resistance (29%), and cultural barriers (23%). And, while some S&L agencies are considered mobile ready, some still lack the necessary training on security and general mobility practices to protect against a security breach.
David Smith, director of state and local government, Citrix, commented, “State and local government agencies continue to make great strides towards mobility, however, many face roadblocks by not thinking big in their approaches.
“As the call for mobility continues to grow louder to drive increased productivity, more robust COOP plans, and provide better constituent service, it is imperative for agencies to overcome these roadblocks by taking an enterprise approach when tackling mobility while also addressing infrastructure gaps, establishing incentives to spur mobile adoption, and expanding employee telework eligibility to increase agency operations and productivity — truly enabling employees to do more with less.”
Staying the mobility course
With 65% of state and local IT managers expecting the number of mobile workers to increase in the next five years, the report sees hopeful progress for the future of mobility in S&L government agencies. More than a third of S&L agencies have matured their mobile strategy in the past year, and those that did not will invest going forward. IT managers are looking toward several key steps to achieve mobile readiness such as end-user education (45%), enhancing IT infrastructures (45%), and improving IT training (37%).
A message for drivers
When asked “If you could get your agency’s senior leadership in the IT department to make one decision to improve your organization’s mobile readiness, what would it be?,” those surveyed responded with: increase the technology budget, update the infrastructure, and increase employee eligibility with telework.
“The Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 enabled federal agencies to standardize telework and pave the way for advanced mobility — S&L agencies should adopt a similar approach,” added Steve O’Keeffe, founder, Mobile Work Exchange. “To drive mobility forward, agencies need to address security concerns, establish an infrastructure that supports mobility, incorporate telework into their agency’s COOP strategy, and provide continuous mobile training for end users as well as IT.
“By taking these steps, agencies can build the business case for S&L IT leaders to invest in technologies to support mobility — empowering agencies to realize the vast benefits of increasing productivity while reducing costs.”
The State & Local Mobility Map: Road to Mobile Readiness report reflects the input of 150 IT managers familiar with their organization’s mobile work style strategy and policies. The full study is available for download after a brief registration.
