Get your hardware right
You know your sales team needs to have access to email, but the specific type of email solution you put together will vary according to your specific business requirements. Ask yourself the following questions:
- How often will they need to access email on the road?
- What kind of files will they need to edit?
- What is the typical upper limit on file sizes that can be sent or received?
If your road warriors need an "always on" email solution while they're out and about, you'll need to stop sending them to the nearest internet cafe and provide them with special hardware to allow always on access. But don't panic: an internet-enabled mobile phone or PDA, or a laptop, will do the trick - the kind of equipment your remote workers will probably already possess.
If your remote workers need to edit files on the road, it's important that the device they download email to is capable of delivering this functionality. If you download a huge Microsoft Word document for editing on a laptop you won't have any issues, but editing complicated files on PDAs or mobile phones can be a nightmare. In such circumstances, you should look at using a laptop computer to streamline the process. Keeping an eye on the size of the email attachments most commonly used in your business will help you to decide whether remote workers need a full-blown laptop, or just a PDA, for most of their road work.
Lighter options
PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) are handheld computers that allow you to collect email, edit files and do everything you do on your desktop or laptop - albeit with greatly reduced limitations on file sizes and processing capability.
Smartphones, like the Blackberry, are proving increasingly popular as they combine the features of a PDA with those of a mobile phone to produce an all-round communications device for the ultimate road warrior. But remember that these devices offer greatly reduced functionality compared to laptop computers.
Somewhere between a full-function laptop and a handheld computer is the 'netbook', or ultra-mobile PC. These light-weight, low-cost portable computers are generally optimised for web surfing and email. And these relatively new devices are proving extremely popular with the business market, with many travelling execs opting for a lighter alternative to a shoulder-crushing laptop.
Software needs
So, you've bought your hardware, now you need some software to send and receive emails. While a web browser or standard pre-installed software will suffice for most of your email needs, there are software packages available that are specially designed to enable mobile email access.
Take a look at Emoze - a free mobile email solution that pushes emails to your mobile phone. Emoze allows you to receive emails (and Outlook data) anywhere, anytime an internet connection is present. Emoze sends data –using high-level encryption standards-- to your mobile handset or PDA automatically too, so there's no need to connect to a service or click send/receive.
Infrastructure choices
It's no good having the best equipment and software if you don't have internet access, so what technologies are out there that provide net access at remote locations?
1. 3G networks - which are offered by all the major mobile operators in Ireland - allow you to access email on the move using your mobile phone. Vodafone, Three Ireland, Meteor and O2 all offer data cards and modems for use on the road.
You can also use your 3G mobile phone as a wireless modem for your laptop or PDA, connecting to the device over Bluetooth or infrared. (This will require special software that typically comes with your handset, but can also be downloaded from the internet.)
2. Faster than 3G, HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access) allows you to download large attachments and email messages with greater speed and efficiency than other systems. Download speeds will vary depending on the operator's network capability, but range between 1.8 Mbps and 3.6 Mbps.
3. Wi-Fi (short for Wireless Fidelity) is a limited-range, wireless local area network technology that allows users to access and share data, applications, and internet access in the same way as wired systems. Available in limited geographical areas, known as wireless hotspots, Wi-Fi is a great way to access email on the road using your laptop. The good news is that many locations offer Wi-Fi access for free and there are hotspots dotted around the country. Check out Hotspots Of Ireland for a list of hotspots in your area.
4. Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, or WiMax, is a technology that enables wireless data transmission over a range of about three kilometres. Faster than Wi-Fi (at up to 70 Mbps), WiMax has the added benefit of not requiring a clear line-of-sight in order to work, unlike some existing wireless technologies. WiMax is seen as the next new standard for connectivity at high data rates.
And finally
If you need to access several different email accounts, mail2web.com provides a free, web-based email retrieval application that allows you to anonymously pick up your email from almost any POP3 and IMAP4 email server. No registration is required to access or use the application and you can combine mail from several email addresses on a single webpage.
Finally, if you have trouble remembering all your email passwords, or you need to be able to quickly set up email access on a new computer at a remote location, it can be a good idea to store your settings and passwords on a USB key. But keep it safe!