On-the-go power

Today's workers no longer see work as a physical place but as a daily activity made possible and more productive by a plethora of mobile technologies. A slew of laptops, tablets, and smartphones has forever altered the way employees collaborate and communicate for work, fundamentally changing the concept of the office, and at the same time, has given rise to new business expectations for productivity.

Although adopting enterprise mobility brings numerous benefits in terms of increased productivity and convenience, it also comes hand in hand with new challenges and concerns.

Organisations as well as employees around the globe need to get a handle on mobility, whether that means supporting bring-your-own (BYO) devices or corporate-owned, personally enabled (COPE) devices. Technical departments are focusing on security issues, policy requirements and similar, but few realise that one of the biggest stumbling blocks to mobility is the lack of battery power to support an employee who is on the go all day.

As a mobile workforce becomes the norm instead of the exception, the way people work is forever altering, as is the way mobile devices are designed. Mobility is driving the need for battery life to reach the point where it is possible to hold a full-day, fairly heavy-use charge. End users shouldn't have to worry about having enough juice to get their jobs done. However, until a full-day battery is a reality, power will remain a limiting factor of enterprise mobility.

The same applies in our personal lives. As consumers, we are accessing our social media, banking, personal e-mail accounts and browsing the web on our smartphones and tablets, often leading to a dead battery half way through the day.

This is where portable power comes in. Having a portable power source means that people need not worry about searching for an electrical socket while on the run. These devices are light and convenient, saving the need to carry heavy chargers along with the myriad devices most people carry.

Portable charges are input devices that can charge any device on the go, acting as a backup battery for when a laptop, tablet, camera or cellphone battery runs low. There are several types of portable power sources. These are measured in mAH (milliampere-hours), and are given a volt and amp rating as to the amount of power they provide when charging other devices. Obviously, the greater the number, the greater the charge it can give before it drains.

Portable chargers are fantastic when you don't have any electricity or access to a plug. For the most part, they charge devices quickly, and some offerings can even provide several charges depending on their capacity. We all know too well how annoying low battery can be in the middle of a hectic day. We need our mobile devices to be functional, as they are integral to our doing our jobs, as well as staying in touch with colleagues and loved ones.