With the rise of the use of mobile and handheld devices, there are lots of industries that can benefit from using device storage carts or stations for charging and securing devices.

Here we look at some of the trends in terms of tablet usage in industry and where mobile charging stations will be useful.

Trends for Laptop, Tablet, iPad and Phone usage in Industry:

1. Schools, Universities and Colleges

Lack of security for devices in the education sector was the inspiration behind the launch of LocknCharge, after Australian educator Paul Symons noticed in 1998 a need for securing laptops and devices in his school.

He started by building security leashes and chain kits in his backyard in his spare time and installing them in a few schools throughout Australia.

With that success LocknCharge has grown to be where it is today – saving class time for thousands of teachers every year and providing a solution to charging and storing devices safely in the school environment, making sure devices are ready for use at all times.

2. Manufacturing & Warehousing

As we charge full steam ahead into the next industrial revolution, factories and warehouses are becoming smarter than ever before.

Digitised industrial training, industrial troubleshooting materials, smart robotics management, and warehouse automation can all be done from an iPad or tablet device. Because these industries rely so heavily on mobile device technology in every facet of production and logistics, it’s critical that those devices are accessible, secure and ready to use at all times.

Industry 4.0 manufacturing facilities are using Smart Lockers to automate device management, making daily device check outs and broken device exchanges easier and quicker.

3. Hospitality

Restaurants

One of the most influential restaurant groups leading the way for technology in the sector is inamo.

inamo is pioneering restaurants & bars which are based around ‘Interactive projections on your table surface’, which enable you to set the mood, discover the local neighborhood, and entertain you with retro games, live chef-cam feed, and even graffiti your table top.

Other restaurants are using server POS terminals to help servers place orders immediately and gives them greater flexibility on the restaurant floor. Or using them to let guests see menu choices and book tables/write reviews online, or pay at their tables. One creative restaurant is even using an iPad for a plate!

Hotels, Guest Houses and Hospitality

With connected technology available around the clock, it is no surprise that a huge rise in use of mobile devices has been seen in hospitality.

There is a new ‘type’ of guest, and in many cases, technology is seen as a standard offering in hotels and guest houses, as an away-from-home comfort rather than a luxury.

iPads and devices are being used by management teams to control the back end and front end processes in a hotel, such as faster guest check-in, concierge services and managing housekeeping of rooms.

4. Airlines

It is not unusual for people to spend a lot of time in an airport whilst waiting for their flights, either in a private lounge or a communal waiting area. One airport concessions firm, in 2013, went as far as to lend up to 7,000 iPads to travelers! Users can surf the Internet, play games, or order food, beverages, and other last-minute concessions like magazines for walk-up delivery to their seat.

Flight attendants and pilots are also using tablets during flights, to access digital flight manuals or as hand-held POS to take orders in-flight. Keeping these devices charged for use in the air is very important for airlines to keep planes in the air and increase in-flight revenue.

5. Retail Stores

Retail stores are still relatively new to mobile device usage, but this is seen more and more in store nowadays as a convenience and sales tool.

They can be used in store to effectively check stock levels quickly (instead of having to visit the storeroom off the shop floor), to take payments, or to book people in for things such as personal shopper experiences. They can also be used to browse their internet site in store if the customer is looking for a specific item.

6. Hospitals and Healthcare

Hospitals and other medical institutions, such as dentists and care homes, are investing in new technologies to reduce cost, increase access to facilities and improve care in their environments.

The ultimate aim of this is to deliver a better healthcare service to all patients. Devices are being used for things such as booking in patients, collecting patient surveys, or updating patients on live waiting room times.

For patients that need to be kept in for longer stays, hospitals are also providing tablets in patient rooms as entertainment, and nurses and doctors are using devices to update patient information and charts.

And to complete the cycle of your hospital stay, hospital pharmacies are beginning to use devices to accurately administer medication to patients – both during their stay in the hospital and also provide take-home prescriptions for continued medication.

7. Facilities Management Sector

People or becoming more and more aware of the IoT (or ‘Internet of Things’), and with an increase of 31% of online-capable devices increasing to 8.4 billion in 2017, experts predict this will increase to around 30 billion objects in use by 2020.

There has been an increase in app usage on devices due to a rise in smart buildings, and although this facilities management sector has been slow to catch on it is becoming more of a staple where new building design is of consideration.

8. Office Management

Turn down the lights remotely. Change your heating or air conditioning remotely. Office management companies in charge of new build office blocks are ensuring they have every modern feature possible!

As well as being able to control an office from a personal user perspective, office management companies are also finding they are useful for back-end management such as guest check-ins, meeting room diaries for shared offices, or general management (such as ensuring washrooms are cleaned on a regular basis).

9. Charitable and Non-Profit Organisations

One charitable project being supported by LocknCharge is Covenant House, USA. Covenant House California (CHC) is a non-profit youth homeless shelter that provides sanctuary and support for homeless and trafficked youth, ages 18-24.

Being involved in the project was a big honor for LocknCharge, with one of their FUYL Tower Charging Stations now helping keep the residents’ phones, tablets and laptops safe, secure and charged at all times. The LocknCharge FUYL Tower is being housed prominently in the lobby of the shelter.

10. Leisure and Health/Fitness Centers

Swimming classes can be managed by the touch of a button, by signing participants in for their lesson, and recording progress on a digital device, such as an iPad. Gym or fitness class instructors can do the same, as well as using devices to play music or access playlists.

Mobile devices are about making processes within the business or sector simpler and more inviting for guests/staff and allowing extra time for businesses to focus on what really is important. And this is where we feel we can help the most, with our charging devices. If you use multiple mobile devices in your establishment we can help!

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Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things