You probably know about public device farms – groups of cloud-connected devices that companies pay to access for testing. However, it’s time to question the benefits of device farms like this, and consider the value of private device farms, instead.
If you don’t know about private device farms, it’s time to change that. You are missing out on a great tool to help your company endure hard times.
What is a private device farm?
Private device farms are groups of devices a single company owns. Any authorized employee can choose a device and remotely use it for testing and debugging. This is just like a public device farm, but you do not have to rent time on the farm devices; after all, you own them!
Still, you don’t need to start from scratch. Third-party companies can provide the framework for a private device farm, but you maintain full control over the devices in the farm at all times.
Why is this so important during a crisis?
Avoiding in-person contact
During the pandemic, in-person contact is an unnecessary risk in most circumstances. Thankfully, you can build and operate a private device farm without any in-person contact.
As long as a worker can connect a device to their computer via USB, they can add that device to your private device farm. Even if employees took work devices home with them while sheltering in place, they can quickly connect those devices to the cloud. From there, any employee can access any device at any time, regardless of location.
You can draw out the benefits of device farms even more by using a mobile device management (MDM) solution. Tech support can remotely troubleshoot any device enrolled in an MDM solution, avoiding in-person contact even when issues arise.
Reducing time pressure
Especially during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, employees may struggle to remain productive when working from home. This is especially true during standard business hours, when childcare may be the highest priority. For many workers, completing tasks on time means working late at night or in a crowded environment.
When working in these conditions, errors may be more common, and to compensate, workers need the time to double-check their work. Every minute spent on a public device farm costs money, and this means that workers will likely rush through their tasks, making errors.
In contrast, private device farms do not impose a time-based usage fee. This means workers can take a few extra minutes to ensure their work is accurate.
Staying agile and adapting to change
A crisis requires you to consider and possibly change your priorities. During prolonged emergencies, like the current pandemic, your priorities may change on a weekly or monthly basis.
If you are in full control of a private testing farm, you can change the way your company works as needed. In other words, you do not have to worry about your ties to other companies causing complications. This will enable your company to adapt along with market conditions, in ways that would otherwise be difficult.
Is a private device farm still useful outside of a crisis?
Yes, you will benefit from a private device farm even when there is no immediate crisis.
If you own the devices you need, then your employees need to have access to those devices. Otherwise, they will need to rent time on public device farms – which defeats the purpose of buying devices in the first place. For many, private device farms are simply a better value, whether or not there is a crisis.
If you’re interested, it’s easy to learn more, visit www.42gears.com
