Saskatchewan, a province in Canada, has embraced the iPad as a way to conserve paper and reduce courier costs. There is a lot of uproar in Canada when politicians mysteriously end up with Apple products over cheaper alternatives, but I’m sure you can guess our stance on that argument.
Brad Wall, the Saskatchewan Premier, called the device life-changing when approached by the media. He had a lot more to say on the topic: “Frankly, this technology is pretty easy to use…And can be life-changing in terms of the number of binders we usually have in our lives.” It’s no surprise that a provincial cabinet is finding the device useful during their meetings. There’s a lot of managers in the business sector that echo the sentiment. The iPad is saving time and energy for people managing tasks at every level of business.
While the project ended up costing approximately $23,000 to implement, it was also expected that the device would save the province double that amount. Every little savings helps.
Heck, living in Ottawa, I know full well the hurdles that are present in federal government agencies around town. Employees are still trying to mange their projects on decrepit technologies, including machines that can barely run Internet Explorer 6. I’d be willing to bet that most employees would be able to manage their work load with an iPad and keyboard system. It’s absolutely pathetic that we’re letting our governments remain as inefficient as they are these days.
Tax payers cry about misspent tax money all the time, but something tells me they’d be willing to pay the government to be more efficient. But that’s just me.
What do you think? iPads for all government workers?
Article Via CBC News
