Today’s workforce expects mobile experiences that deliver fast, reliable access to work applications and data from any location. The COVID-19 pandemic made remote work and mobility a necessity basically overnight, reshaping the way federal, state and local government agencies view work. Mobile technology, such as laptop computers, smartphones, and other mobile devices, have boosted law enforcement and public safety workers’ productivity, giving them remote access to the same software applications and data as they would have in the office. At the same time, office-based employees have grown accustomed to working from home and want to continue to do so, even if it is part time. Agency leaders acknowledge the positive impact virtual work has had on their workforce. Clearly, the hybrid workforce is the wave of the future. However, there are challenges agencies must overcome to develop an effective and secure mobile workforce. For instance, agencies will have to support and provide security for a larger range of devices from portable devices to wearables to ultrabooks. Panelists will discuss success stories as well as the technology, policy, and organizational challenges agencies must overcome to empower a mobile workforce and establish an effective hybrid work environment.

Potential topics include:

•    The hybrid work environment: best practices, overcoming challenges.
•    Technology advances impacting mobility and the hybrid workplace.
•    Security and the mobile work environment.
•    Mobile connections and the delivery of critical citizen information. 
•    Capacity, mobile connectivity, and provider choice.