Better Mobile 4G and the Portable Office
Transport for London’s (TfL) plans to roll out 4G across the London Undergound network are continuing apace, with the recent news that this will likely include the new Elizabeth Line (aka CrossRail) and the planned CrossRail 2 and Northern Line extension projects.
Suppliers and interested parties have had until July 6th to submit a selection questionnaire, which will then be evaluated before a more thorough tender goes out in early August.
City AM reports that companies will be competing to construct a commercial fibre optic network and the provision of a public WiFi service in specified TfL stations. The plan Is for the first stations to get connected during 2019, taking the capital one step closer to being a fully mobile working environment.
WiFi already exists in some Tube stations, as it does on large parts of the train network across the country – even if the actual internet speeds vary widely depending on whereabouts you are!
Both TfL and the train companies will be heavily promoting the virtues of this type of connectivity for both leisure and work use, and it is popular here in the East Midlands, where we have a mixture of commuters heading into either London or Birmingham and companies who have to travel to see their clients.
But in the same way as nothing can beat the quality of a film that is already downloaded to your device, you need to make sure you have the processes and protocols in place for your mobile working to make sure you do not lose work unnecessarily. After all, there is nothing more frustrating than concentrating hard for an hour, only to see your work disappear because the saving process has not worked properly!
Here are Fuse’s top tips for your mobile working:
- Make sure you have OneDrive syncing in place, so that when you save your document to your device it will automatically update onto your online OneDrive folder as soon as you are back online, thereby ensuring that your company work remains up-to-date
- Do not get too reliant on having internet connectivity when you are on the move. Access to online resources may not be available for the duration of your whole journey, and even if your device is connected to the on-train WiFi the actual internet speeds will vary depending on whereabouts you are, or if you are in a tunnel
- Have processes and checklists in place – even if they are just your own individual way of working, not official company policy – to ensure that you always download what you need onto your machine before you travel
Here at Fuse we believe that having the wherewithal to work effectively on the move is an integral part of the modern office. This includes OneDrive syncing being set up on all your machines, working with you to develop robust working practices for all your staff, and proactively making sure that your IT provision works to meet your needs, not the other way around.
Get in touch to find out how we can make sure that you have the great IT provision your organisation deserves! Call 01604 797979 or send us an enquiry
About the author
Fuse is a Microsoft Partner, based in Northampton. We help organisations of all sizes to maximise IT efficiencies through the use of Microsoft cloud computing solutions.
