By Rieva Lesonsky
The culture of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) to work is here to stay. In fact, the International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts 37.2% of the global workforce will be a part of the BYOD movement by 2015. Some might find it unsettling, but that’s only because it’s a new way to do things and the security concerns are enough to keep any IT professional up at night. On the flip side, however, the flexibility of taking their work out of the office makes employees happier and more productive. For those who can’t get past the security issue, the Toshiba Portégé Detachable Ultrabook might be just what your workforce needs.
It starts with the biometric security of a built-in fingerprint reader. This feature alone can help ensure that the only person with access to sensitive company information is the person for whom it is intended. In addition, the Portégé includes another security feature, a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), which stores cryptographic information separate from the other memory.
The power that this two-in-one device offers comes courtesy of an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor with vPro technology. So while employees get the benefit of Ultrabook power in a tablet, the vPro technology offers a built-in security feature that protects against a variety of threats, including: rootkits, viruses, malware, identity and website access point vulnerabilities, business data vulnerabilities. Plus, it offers remote and local monitoring, remediation, and repair.
In addition, unlike other tablet devices that aren’t powerful enough to run the full Windows 8 operating system, because the Portégé is an Ultrabook users are able to benefit from all the security features of this complete operating system. For example, a new Windows Defender program automatically runs in the background to scan for malware and notifies you when you need to take specific action—it will also alert users if they have clicked on a suspicious link. Windows SmartScreen can help protect against phishing scams; BitLocker Drive Encryption will encrypt documents, passwords, and other important data; and the OS will update important software automatically to patch software vulnerabilities before you even know they exist.
In addition to security, a traveling device also needs to be durable. The Toshiba Portégé Detachable Ultrabook isn’t some flimsy piece of hardware—it has a locking hinge to keep everything in place and the screen is made of Corning Concore, which is anti-glare and fingerprint-resistant.
The entire package is a svelte 3.19 lbs. fully assembled. If an employee decides they want to detach the keyboard along with the additional ports—more on that in a minute—the tablet weight drops to just 1.87 lbs. Speaking of ports, the tablet portion includes a full-size SD slot, USB 3.0 and a micro HDMI port; while the keyboard piece adds another HDMI port, plus an RGB, LAN and standard USB.
Jumping into the BYOD game isn’t for the feint-of-heart and security concerns are very real. Fortunately the Portégé is so versatile and slender that when all else fails, sliding it under your pillow at night is also a possibility—if that will help you sleep better.
Rieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a media and custom content company focusing on small business and entrepreneurship. Email Rieva at rieva@smallbizdaily.com, follow her on Google+ and Twitter.com/Rieva and visit her website, SmallBizDaily.com, to get the scoop on business trends and sign up for Rieva’s free TrendCast reports.
This post was brought to you by Toshiba.
