The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/163881
Corporate-Provided vs. BYOD: Corporate-owned ultrabooks would certainly be the traditional, status quo option. A corporate software image combined with corporate domain policies would cover all the manageability and security requirements. In a BYOD model, the options are mostly virtual desktop infrastructures (VDIs), remote applications and remote desktop services. For many organizations, full virtual private network (VPN) access on a personally owned device presents too much of a data security and licensing headache to support, but it may be acceptable in other situations. It doesn't hurt to support both BYOD and corporate-provided options if the infrastructure for the two solutions can overlap. Legacy Application Support: Since ultrabooks are just an extremely portable expansion of the existing laptop, legacy application support is not compromised. Most are available with either Windows 7 or Windows 8 and have the ability to run older applications in either compatibility mode or with virtualization. Required Infrastructure Changes and Costs: If the operating system and support model remain the same, the upgrade to an ultrabook should not require any infrastructure change. Minimum changes may be needed if upgrading to Windows 8, such as application upgrades and virtualization, Windows Server 2012 upgrades to support touchscreen gestures and new system images. If switching to or adding a BYOD support model, the additional costs of VDI and terminal servers infrastructure changes will certainly add to the bottom line, but this is to be expected with all BYOD implementations, regardless of device type. Additional Thoughts: Although ultrabooks are sleeker and more sophisticated than the previous laptop generation, consumers perceive them as old technology. Despite being lighter than previous models, ultrabooks are still seven to 31 percent heavier than tablets. Business ultrabook prices range from $800 to $2,400 ($1,400 seems to be the average), so there does not appear to be a huge (if any) cost savings over tablets. Still, ultrabooks are a good option for staff members, BYOD environments, trial war room setups and document reviews where the devices will be stationary or in a temporary-office scenario. APPLE IPAD Being the first and most successful tablet on the market, the iPad is the tablet that all others are judged by. Now in its fourth generation with the fifth just months away, and available in two sizes, the iPad is definitely a strong option. The iPad evolved from the Apple iPhone smartphone, so there will be notable differences from tablets with laptop roots. Usability: Compared to a laptop, the iPad can be quite liberating. Depending on the model, the iPad weighs between 0.68 and 1.46 72 Peer to Peer pounds and gets up to 10 hours of battery life under constant use (about one week under occasional use). Even with secure passwords, the time to power-on and login to an iPad is a quick five seconds. Access to social networks, media and games also enhances the experience. Common usability complaints are the lack of USB input and video output, but there are adaptors for connecting cameras, projectors, peripherals and USB memory. An arsenal of cables can be a bit annoying, although there are wireless solutions for many of those connections. Some security experts may argue that the lack of USB is a data security bonus, but users will see it as a negative. Although there is no option for a true extended display, apps such as Keynote provide this functionality by giving the ability to show a different audience view on an external monitor and a presenter view on the device. For presentation and external monitor use, both wired video adaptors and the screen mirroring functionality of the Apple TV are options. A stylus combined with note-taking apps can provide a digital alternative to a legal pad — something hybrid ultrabooks can imitate, albeit more like writing on a stack of paper than a legal pad. The stylus for the capacitive touchscreen of the iPad feels like writing with a rubber-tipped crayon, but it works in most scenarios. There are also smart styluses that utilize a combination of Bluetooth and sound to offer better preciseness, improved pressure sensitivity and natural writing angles. Long-winded typists (like the apologetic author of this article) can add the option of a Bluetooth keyboard, although that adds some additional bulk to specifications. Corporate-Provided vs. BYOD: When Apple released the iPad, they had the consumer market in mind, with little regard for the enterprise. Many organizations succumbed to executive-level, consumer-driven pressure for a BYOD strategy, with iPad as their initial support solution. Now that the device and the mobile device management (MDM) industry have matured, there are several options for the iPad, including containerized apps, VPN, terminal sever apps and MDM policy-enforced security. Given security advancements such as the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) encryption validation, iPads can now be permitted to access data and systems behind the corporate firewall. In essence, support options are the same whether devices are corporate-provided or BYOD. However, consideration should be given to data governance as it pertains to iCloud integration and cloud storage solutions, especially if the iPad is given VPN access. Containerized apps, in conjunction with a written policy and user awareness training, may be the only way to truly prevent corporate data from entering the cloud. Legacy Application Support: Many organizations use programs and systems that are not iPad compatible and/or are infeasible to replace at the current time. Often, access to legacy applications and systems is handled by an increased investment or overhaul of