Mobility, Usability, and Disability

by Michael Kramer / Sep 28

Carrying It All Without Injury

Use a backpack, and wear it properly
Sure it may look geeky to some, but carrying five or more pounds on your back is a lot safer and more comfortable than holding on one side of the body. That also means wearing the backpack properly, not slung over one shoulder in a lazy attempt to try to look cool.

Carry only what you need for that trip
Create separate modules such as ”international”, “no outlets”, etc.
Use smaller, removable zip-up bags inside the backpack to modularize mobile needs. These modules can be removed as travel needs change. For example, have one “international module” which contains power adapters that are not needed unless travelling abroad. Have another module for a “no outlet” situation which may contain extra batteries, for example.

Weigh the Options
Literally weigh them. That AC adapter is probably lighter than a spare battery. Assuming there will be outlets, bring it instead of the spare battery. Use a universal charger.

Put down the backpack whenever possible
There is no need to be burdened with the weight of the job while waiting for the train, bus, or taxi to arrive. Put that weight down and save some agony.

Leave accessories somewhere else
If certain sites are frequented by mobile travelers, leave an extra universal charger at that location so every worker doesn’t have to bring their own every time they visit that site.
Leave accessories in the car or somewhere nearby so they are still accessible but don’t have to be carried all of the time.
If tools are the problem, look for compact versions of them. Leave them at the worksite if working there for weeks at a time. Make sure the place they are stored is a secure place though.

Power, Security, and Connectivity

Powering up and finding Internet connectivity?
Outlets are your friend.  Unfortunately not all of Tesla’s ideas really took off so they’re not as mobile as the devices that rely on them for power and recharging.
I don’t like hotspots, I carry a wireless broadband card, but it’s $60/month.  I feel it’s worth the cost for the added security.  If you’re a mobile professional, I feel it’s a must.

Mobile security
You must use hard drive encryption software on your laptop and other devices.
Smartphones and Blackberries should have password protection, with name and phone number on owner screen.  We’ve had over 80% of our misplaced devices returned this way. These devices can be wiped remotely, either by your provider or IT staff.
A few must haves include a software firewall and anti-virus software.  Turn off services you don’t use or need on the road.  Only go online when needed and never connect to an ad-hoc network.  Don’t use public Wi-Fi unless you have to.
Use application layer security or WPA2-PSK. Don’t settle for less when traveling.  Since a lot of Wi-Fi spots don’t offer this, it’s probably a good time to invest in a point-to-point connection that a wireless broadband card offers.

Support on the go
I am the IT staff, but others have to manage more and more on their own as they travel to far-away lands with limited connectivity or time zones are many hours off from IT staff’s. We supply them with the phone numbers they need when they travel.
Also, training is a big part. Give the mobile workforce the knowledge they need while traveling.  If you have a BES server (Blackberry Enterprise Server) at work, you can have IT staff push all your data to a new device you just purchased while on the road, if you are fully wireless and have a data connection while traveling.

Good luck and happy trails.

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