Weathering the storm of recession

In the Oxfordshire area, we are still seeing jobs being lost as the recession bites deeper and margins are squeezed ever tighter but many believe that now is the time to invest in initiatives to help businesses secure their futures - and their employees prospects. Computing mobility and connectivity will play a key role in delivering sorely needed benefits.

The difficult times we are all living through should encourage businesses to invest in a review of their own operations to identify areas of productivity improvement and flexibility. Busy managers out on the road or particularly during their daily commute should be making the most of their time. There is no doubt that being able to connect to base or the internet while on the move can be a key factor in refining procedures and enhancing efficiency.

Education is also key and we should not forget that our university students also need the right tools for the job. Research via the internet, the production of computer based project work and the need to communicate with educational establishments as well as colleagues is becoming increasingly important. The use of portable devices like laptops and netbooks for this are one of the few areas which are still in a growth market in 2009 – netbooks in particular appear to be the devices most sought after by the student fraternity for their price, portability and convenience.