Until the 1990s, organizations typically had only one kind of computing device to offer end users: the desktop computer. In more recent years, as laptops shrank in size and smartphones emerged, there were some who believed that devices might one day converge again into a single, unified form factor.

That hasn’t happened. Instead, more device types are available today than ever, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for organizations looking to equip their employees for optimal productivity. Instead, IT and business leaders must make decisions based on their specific business goals.

Here are some of the most common objectives that come up in our conversations with IT leaders at organizations across a variety of industries — and which devices are most likely to help organizations meet them.

Not long ago, businesses typically directed high-end notebooks and mobile devices toward the C-suite, whether those executive users needed high-performance machines or not. Devices were a bit like wristwatches, valued for their ability to show off status nearly as much their ability to perform a task. Today, most organizations are becoming more strategic about device…

Recently, a Girl Scout asked me if I wanted to buy some cookies. I’m a sucker for Thin Mints, but I told the young fundraiser that I didn’t have any cash. No problem, she told me. She was accepting payments via a mobile app on her tablet. The point here isn’t that I bought a…

Recently, I worked with leaders in a Texas school district who were making a conscious attempt to support modern pedagogical practices. They wanted to give teachers the freedom to change up room layouts to better enable collaboration, but teachers also needed students to sit in rows during portions of their classes. Changing the furniture around…

When I talk to retail executives about making investments in digital transformation initiatives, they often ask me what impact the changes will have on the customer experience. It’s understandable that retailers want to prioritize the customer when considering IT investments. However, retailers should reframe that question. With stiff competition from online retailers, and with other…

For retail companies, the point-of-sale (POS) system is the heart of every transaction, so choosing the right POS solution to suit your needs is an important decision. Whether you’re selecting a point-of-sale system for the first time, or upgrading your old POS to a new system, there are many factors to consider. One of these…