By Insight Editor / 1 Nov 2023 / Topics: Devices Mobility Modern workplace
In today’s decentralized, work-from-anywhere environment, having personalized solutions for connected workers is critical for organizations to stay competitive and agile. By integrating tailored, role-based solutions, you can ensure consistent productivity and engagement, all while enhancing the speed and security of your team’s operations.
To experience this week’s episode, listen on the player above, watch the conversation below, or scroll down to read a complete transcript. You can also subscribe to Insight TechTalk on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify.
Audio transcript:
Erin
Hello, and thank you for joining us for another Insight TechTalk. My name is Erin Hazen and I'm a client solutions executive here at Insight, and I'm thrilled today to be joined by Vincent Casale, services BDM for Apple. Welcome Vincent.
Vincent
Thanks Erin for having me.
Erin
Really, really excited to talk with you today to Vincent about a really interesting topic that I think maybe some people are going to get a ton of value out of. And that is about how Insight and Apple can provide a mobile device solution for your employees, for organizations' employees, from anywhere. And with the diversity of today's workforce, there is a need for this all-encompassing mobile device solution. Insight and Apple provide tailor-made, connected worker solutions to meet specific needs of organizations for both mobile and office workers. So this is a big topic and I'm super excited to dive into this with you today. How do you feel if we just jump right into questions, Vincent, are you good?
Vincent
I'm good, let's go.
Erin
Let's do it, awesome, perfect. So let's get to kind of the heart of it. What is the goal of the Insight and Apple Connected Worker solution?
Vincent
It's a great question, and I guess that's why we're here today. So absolutely, it's being able to leverage insight as that managed service provider, and also solutions integrator with Apple. We want to be the trusted advisor, that full service partner to be able to deliver that positive end user experience from A to Z. So starting with the assessment piece of your environment, being able to procure those devices specific to personas, being able to leverage our pre-deployment lab integration services, bundle that all together and then help manage and maintain that throughout the entire lifecycle. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for this connected worker so that they can obviously stay productive and hit on those direct business impacts.
Erin
I love it, and so interesting because even as a worker in the technology industry, as an employee of this industry I struggle myself and I'm sure you do too. If something isn't functioning properly, I am quickly looking for an alternate, an alternative option. I'm trying to fix it, I'm trying to figure things out, and sometimes we kind of abandon whatever was initially in place because we're just trying to get things functioning and I love that this solution all but eliminates those challenges, and it's kind of that your experience with clients and end users being able to just kind of seamlessly click in and connect as they need to.
Vincent
That's it, we want them to focus on their job while we handle all of those tasks or challenges behind the scenes, we want them to get out there, be productive and impactful to the business so they can deliver the results.
Erin
I love that, and not even have to think about it. And honestly, isn't that such a luxury when you don't have to think about it and it just functions for you and that's how everything should operate. Now this is going to be kind of a key area for some particular verticals. So who for example would Insight an Apple? Where would the connected workforce solution work best?
Vincent
Yeah, that's a great question. We want to say that it's an endless use case scenario to be able to leverage this persona-based device bundle, but we're really seeing it big when it comes to field workers being able to take that device out and being able to leverage obviously the possibilities of having a dedicated device that is going to do what it says it is going to do while they can focus on those priority projects. So yeah, field workers, the hybrid worker which is very big right now because we're always on the go. And then also dedicating it toward those lone office workers that are still there and then the mobile workers as well. So it's really a combination of all of those personas that can be wrapped up into one. And another big thing that we're seeing is, from an industry perspective, the big ones that come to mind now are construction, manufacturing and public sector. So all striving to get to that smart worker really starts with these connected bundles.
Erin
And I imagine when you're talking with end users and clients about their needs, the the opportunity to have that smart worker, to have that highly functional solution improve safety, like not just efficiency and productivity and revenue, we're talking about safety concerns, we're talking about making sure that people are not fiddling with their devices while they're trying to do other important things. Even thinking about the construction vertical, that's got to be a big one, right?
Vincent
Absolutely, we want to make sure that they have so many days without an accident. So you are absolutely correct that ensuring that that device works and that they're able to complete their overall workday and do it in a safe manner.
Erin
I love that. And what an important thing that maybe isn't necessarily always top of mind when people are thinking safety and technology. Actually this could do a huge service to that initiative. Let's pivot a little bit here and I know we've kind of touched on the benefits, but let's dig in a little bit further about the benefits of the Insight and Apple Connected Worker solution.
Vincent
Yeah, so it's providing that end user with the best device that they know and love and pairing that with an ESRI application, for example. So we know that's a big piece of that when it comes to the Esri suite of applications, leveraging the native applications that are built into these Apple devices, but also thousands of business applications that they have easy access to to pull directly from that App Store. So we want to make it as easy as possible for these employees to be able to do their job successfully, like I said, without having to worry about all the backend processes.
Erin
Right and I love that this is bundled, this is already vetted, this is stuff that, there's no concern around the security that is in place for these applications. It's already in place. And that kind of leads me to my next question is, when we're talking about these bundled kits for the connected worker, what does that include and what can we expect for our clients with this bundled solution?
Vincent
Great question, so as industry experts, we put together a couple curated bundles to really help get started through this overall scenario. And these popular bundles will start with an iPhone for some of those mobile workers, or an iPad if they need a bigger screen. And then if they need something that's a little bit more powerful, leveraging the Mac device. So being able to put all of those pieces together for a worker, and we understand the harsh conditions and the harsh environments that they may be put in, so maybe it's leveraging something like a ruggedized case put into that bundle or something intrinsically safe if they're going above and beyond within their environment. But just being able to withstand the overall daily duties and tasks that these workers are put in and make sure they have a device that is not going to fail them on the job.
Erin
Totally, and I'm imagining that we can't have them fail in some cases. There's highly important concerning challenges that the clients are working through and really, their technology can't fail 'em or the entire project could fail, right? So to have that peace of mind that they've got a rugged device that's going to last, they've got something that has the applications that exist already, all of this bundled together without any worry, and then as you mentioned, it's all managed and we can support, through the insight team, all of that backend piece. Am I summarizing that appropriately?
Vincent
You're absolutely correct. And one more thing to add on to that is we may have come up with several different scenarios or persona-based kits. These are fully customizable. So if there's a persona that may not fit that specific worker in your organization, we have the ability to be flexible and make sure that we can get you to that future ideal state.
Erin
Like a frontline worker or somebody who is maybe, even you think about retail workers, I was at a retail location the other day and they were, they all had smart devices on them for looking up pricing and I had never seen anything like that before. In fact, they handed it to me and said, "Here, put your email in for your phone number or for your contact information so we can give you a discount," and I was like, "Well this is a, this is new," and I think that just, yeah, that consistency of experience makes it so much easier not only for the end user but for the clientele they're serving as well.
Vincent
Mm-hmm, exactly correct.
Erin
Awesome, awesome! So okay, let's talk about, a little bit more about Insight services that are going to pair with Apple. And this is so important that we really establish the strong relationship that Apple and Insight have together and that we really are dedicated to working together to find these solutions, and that's why this TikTok really originated was how is Apple, what is Apple doing, what is Insight doing? How can we mash these together, talk about it and share this with everyone else? So can you fill us in about where Insight plays in this piece?
Vincent
Absolutely, so at Insight being a solutions integrator, we really have a proven and comprehensive framework to help deliver all this. And we have a multitude of services and solutions that are all in-house. And some of them that come to mind when going through this lifecycle piece of the device is really around preparing and deploying them. And that's where our managed endpoint services would fit in. So all of those moves, ads, changes, deletes, are done by our managed services team to really ensure that IT can focus on those higher-priority projects instead of those mundane tasks. Our team is certified, with some of the top MDMs, and they're able to submit security updates, patch applications, all of that done through a simple ticket which the customer would be able to leverage. So meeting those SLAs and ensuring that those devices meet IT security standards and protocols while also delivering that employee experience is one that comes top of mind. Another piece of that would be the device refresh. So we understand security and aging of the devices does play a major role in an overall lifecycle.
So ensuring that we can help set up two, three, four year refreshes, whether that's leasing, financing, delivering that so the employee can just continue to do their work with the newest devices in hand, knowing that they're secure in case they ever do get into the wrong hands. And then the last piece I'd say that is probably one of the biggest ones is devices of service. And we want to ensure that we can make it as easy as possible and achieve those cost savings while also delivering to this hybrid and remote workforce to provide better end user experience with the most up-to-date hardware. So moving clients from a capital expenditure to an operational expense and having this function as part of the overall business model, I would say are three big pieces that we can help with. And think of DAS as the end user computing hardware such as those Apple devices, the services and solutions, and putting that all together for a per unit per month price to make it really easy for the client to get started right away.
Erin
And what a benefit to leadership, because I think even as leaders of organizations are considering the future of their workforce and the nature of the workforce, meaning people move in and move out of roles, if you've got this infrastructure in place, really, it just kind of lives and continues on and you don't have to worry about where the knowledge has lived with someone else who maybe may or may not be with the organization anymore so you've got this really strong foundation to rely on. Is that a maybe another benefit that you would consider?
Vincent
Absolutely, yes. We get in front of leadership all the time and explain these benefits of moving to this model and making sure it's as seamless and frictionless as possible for their organization.
Erin
I love that, I love that there is that consideration in place, which at the end of the day is going to free up these folks to do the stuff that they really need to be thinking about, and let's leave the more mundane stuff to Insight and we can just automate things and move things quicker for you so that you can do the big picture thinking and dreaming. Maybe you're doing stretch projects in your organization, this is the kind of stuff that these day-to-day tasks are eating away at your time so this is such a valuable conversation. Really, really appreciate your time, Vincent, is there anything else you wanted to share about the relationship with Insight and Apple or any other thoughts?
Vincent
I'll leave with this is we understand that technology is ever changing, the workers are changing and the overall workplace is changing. So the big pieces are really the employee experience, the modern management, and that digital transformation which is really in high demand across the enterprise. So these connected worker bundles and the Apple piece and the Esri applications really fit into getting on the road and the path to modernization.
Erin
I love it, I love it and it feels like such a palatable, approachable strategy and it doesn't feel scary. It feels like you could reach out to Insight, we could help you figure this out and make that be a pretty seamless experience for you which to me feels great. I know that to our users and viewers this is going to feel really good as well. So thank you so much for sharing this information with us today, Vincent, really appreciate your insight.
Vincent
Absolutely, thanks for having me.
Erin
Oh, our pleasure, and I know that our audience, you our viewers, have certainly gotten a ton of information out of this session, and you can learn more if you actually go online and visit insight.com, and head straight to the Apple Store, which is where you're going to learn more about these Apple Worker solutions, and more about what our team can do to support you and your organization. While you're there, make sure that you subscribe to our digital magazine, "The Tech Journal," where you'll find more inspiration and insights about the future of business and technology. Once again, my name is Erin Hazen, and on behalf of Insight, thank you for your time today. I look forward to tech-talking with you again soon. Have a great day!
[Music]
Client Solutions Executive, Insight
Erin is passionate about supporting clients and helping organizations thrive by leveraging digital transformation. Throughout her career, she’s made it a priority to develop meaningful connections — whether that’s through events, leadership opportunities, marketing initiatives, or connecting over coffee. Erin is an intuitive and attentive leader and collaborator who establishes and fosters trust relationships with clients, teammates, and stakeholders alike.
Sr. Business Development Manager, Solutions Sales, Apple
Vincent has 13 years of experience in the channel with the last six focusing on the deployment of Apple devices in the enterprise space. Vincent is passionate about helping clients develop, implement and manage their mobile environments with comprehensive solutions. He’s a dedicated resource aligned to Apple.
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