Solution Spotlight: iPads and Mobility Managed Services for Global Sales Force

Customer: International Healthcare Technology Provider
Location: Global

Highlights

This customer wanted to make the iPad the primary personal device for its global sales force, which worked almost exclusively from home and the field. The sales team needed full and constant connection to the network through a Citrix-based infrastructure, without compromising data security. To meet these needs, MCPc designed a comprehensive solution that included procurement and imaging, custom app development and ongoing device management.

Benefits

• The test group has full remote network connectivity and job functionality with just an iPad, a cellphone and a home printer.
• A thorough proof-of-concept period will enable a smooth transition to the iPads.
• The company can leverage the mobility and flexibility of the iPad while MCPc fully owns device management.

Business Need

This international healthcare technology provider wanted to make the iPad the primary personal device for its global sales force of more than 300 people.

The company had several goals it was hoping to accomplish in this project:

• Give sales reps, who work almost exclusively from their homes and the field, full job functionality and network connectivity with only an iPad, a cellphone and a home printer
• Fully leverage the mobility, flexibility and range of applications offered by the iPad without compromising corporate data security
• Enable sales reps to play product videos on sales visits without having to stream them through an Internet connection, ensuring reliable performance when it counted
• Put in place a system that alerts sales reps when new versions of product videos are available and gives them immediate download access
• Cultivate a technology-forward corporate culture that would help attract top talent

However, before the sales department could be fully migrated to the tablets, the company needed to establish a framework for managing them in the IT environment. Network security concerns had to be addressed, and a plan for procurement, imaging and lifecycle management was required. Plus, the overall viability of the iPad in its operations had to be proven through a trial period with limited deployment to a test group.

Solution

The customer had previously worked with MCPc to integrate Cisco Unified Communications into its IT environment and now engaged MCPc’s Personal Systems team to lead the iPad project.

MCPc developed a plan for a 130-day, two-phase proof of concept to determine the potential success of a full iPad deployment. In Phase I, a conference room pilot was held over three days to verify compatibility with corporate security policies, and mail and calendar functionality, and to define device policies, restrictions and profiles for each user segment. Once this was completed successfully, Phase II further tested the concept with a trial group of 32 users across the global sales department in the United States, Denmark, Germany and Japan.

The goal of the proof of concept was to prove the viability of the iPad — from a standpoint of data security, assimilation with the Citrix and Cisco infrastructures, compatibility with all Microsoft Office programs, functionality of the product video player — before units were rolled out to the rest of the department.

The need for a better way to display product videos was a key component of the project. The only existing option for the sales reps in the field had been to stream the videos on their Blackberry smartphones — an unreliable and visually unimpressive solution. To solve this problem, the MCPc engineering team custom built an iPad app that would allow for offline video streaming. Device-management software was also put in place to efficiently update the iPad fleet with the latest versions of the videos.

Under a three-year Mobility Managed Services contract with MCPc, the customer receives:

• Full service for device procurement and lifecycle management
• Configuring and imaging
• Routine maintenance
• Inventory and asset management
• Installation and updating of in-house apps, ongoing consultation on leveraging apps from expansive public marketplace

Results

The reps in the test group are fully connected to the corporate network, and are able to use all Microsoft Office programs and a wide range of apps while benefiting from the mobility of the iPad on the road. Product videos are now easily and reliably displayed in an attractive format on sales visits, leaving potential and existing customers with a strong impression of a tech-savvy, forward-looking organization.

The three-year Mobility Managed Services contract guarantees that the company will have expert security management, 24/7 technical support and maintenance, and full management of the iPad fleet lifecycle.

MCPc leveraged its expertise in both personal systems deployment and in all relevant manufacturers to see this project through successfully from proof of concept to day-to-day support. As an Apple Authorized Reseller, and a Gold Partner of both Citrix and Cisco, MCPc was able to design a model for seamlessly integrating the iPad with considerations for every layer of the company’s IT infrastructure.

The customer now has a foundation in place to make the iPad the standard device across the entire global sales force.

If your organization is ready to integrate iPads or other tablets into the IT environment, MCPc can tailor a comprehensive solution, from procurement and lifecycle management to custom apps and mobile managed services. Contact us today for more information.