Increasingly, businesses are investing in cloud services. A Forrester survey from last year found that two-thirds of IT professionals at large companies ranked investment in cloud services as a top priority. Users are also using their mobile devices to access cloud services and applications. Forty percent of respondents told Forrester that they use a tablet that has six or more mobile business applications. But as Tom Kaneshige explains in a recent CIO article, it's important that you de-clutter the mobile apps on your tablet.
On average, the typical business executive uses close to a half-dozen iPad productivity apps on a daily basis. However, constantly opening and closing different apps can become both "tedious and annoying," Kaneshige writes. He notes that the problem is worsening as the number of apps has grown significantly, saying "The proliferation of enterprise cloud apps is cluttering the iPad home screens."
In a different article, Tracey Foulkes offers three tips for de-cluttering your iPad's home screen:
Step 1: File similar apps into folders
Foulkes suggests that you can simplify things by grouping common and high frequency apps (i.e. email, calendar and messages) into different folders.
Step 2: Clear the app clutter
Another point Foulkes emphasizes is that you don't need to use all the space you have available.
"Just because a folder can hold 12 apps, it doesn't mean you have to fill it, and if it's full, well the chances are you have enough app options in your folder to consider applying the one-in-one-out principle," she writes. "With space for 20 icons/folders on your home screen, […] you have the capacity to store 228 apps on your home screen alone, so try sticking to one screen."
Sam Grobart of The New York Times offers similar advice, telling users to respect the folder cap. Folders in iOS can hold a maximum of 12 apps, while those in Android can hold 6. This may be fine for some folders–banking, for example. Grobart also advises adhering to a one-in, one-out rule.
Foulkes reminds users how to delete an app:
- Press the icon until it starts shaking.
- Click on the "x" in the top right corner of the app to delete it from your iPad.
Luckily, deleting an app doesn't mean it's gone permanently. You can always go to the App Store, and then click on "Updates", "Purchased" and "Not on this iPhone/iPad." That last category will always display a list of every app you've bought from Apple. Be sure to select the app you want to restore and move it into the folder of your choice. But don't worry about any costs. Since you've already purchased the app, you won't be charged again.
Step 3: Maintenance Routine
Make sure that you're regularly de-cluttering your iPad. Ideally, you should be doing this on a weekly or monthly basis. Once you've organized your apps, you'll quickly notice the benefits this has on your productivity and your peace of mind.
Businesses looking for ways to improve their legacy applications systems may want to consider a mainframe modernization tool. This provides you with options for enhancements, and you can adapt the necessary aspects of the mainframe environment to best suit your organization's needs.