Why Chromebook Kiosks are Great for Public Sector Services

Public sector services have undergone a major digital transformation over the past decade. 

Often known for their risk-averse and slow-paced operations, government and public sector agencies across the globe are now going digital to reduce time-consuming manual processes and offer digital experiences for public access. Some examples of public sector services that have already experienced the benefits of digital transformation include public transportation, healthcare, law enforcement, education, parks, and museums.

A recent study reported that government and public sector agencies have started becoming more ‘customer-centric’ by offering user-friendly, digital experiences to the general public. Over 66% of the study respondents claimed that designing a safe and intuitive user experience is a key objective for public sector services. 

However, facilitating digital experiences for the general public requires government agencies to take the first step towards their digital transformation journey: securing and managing mobile devices. 

Mobile devices (smartphones, laptops, and tablets) have played an instrumental role in enhancing public sector services. One such device that has seen widespread adoption in the public sector is Chromebooks. In fact, the Chromebook market size is expected to grow from USD 5.9 billion in 2024 to USD 7.48 billion in 2030, reflecting the increasing popularity of Chromebooks in both private and public sector firms. 

However, it’s important to effectively restrict access to device settings, hardware keys, and peripheral controls to ensure that the public can use these devices with minimal distractions and supervision. And that’s what Chromebook kiosks can help with. 

In this blog, we will focus on how Chromebook kiosks can empower the public sector and government agencies to provide secure, digital experiences to citizens. 

What are Chromebook kiosks?

Known for their affordability, ease of use, and easy access to a wide range of apps on the Google Chrome store, Chromebooks offer a multitude of benefits for public sector agencies with budget constraints. Chromebook kiosks can be configured to run only permitted applications and websites. And IT administrators can do this using an MDM solution, like SureMDM. 

With SureMDM, you can not only manage Chromebooks, but also any device running on Android, Windows, iOS, macOS, Linux, etc., which means IT admins can manage their entire fleet of public-facing and end user or employee devices from a single, unified console. 

What are the benefits of using Chromebook kiosks for public sector services?

Enabling kiosk mode of Chromebooks, or leveraging Chromebook kiosks, can offer an additional layer of security and enhance the user experience for Chromebook users. 

Let’s take a look at how Chromebooks benefit public sector operations:

1. Cost-effectiveness:

   Due to their minimal hardware requirements, Chromebooks offer a budget-friendly option for public sector firms that need devices for public use.

2. Energy-efficient:

   Most Chromebooks offer an all-day battery experience, which makes them one of the most energy-efficient laptop options available.

3. Ease of scalability:

   In case there’s a surge in demand for public services, adding Chromebook kiosks to the fleet offers a cost-effective way to easily scale operations. 

Now here’s how Chromebook kiosks can help citizens:

1. Easy to operate:

   Chromebooks are easy to work with, especially for users unfamiliar with Windows or Mac. Through seamless integration with the Google App Store, Chromebooks have access to Chrome web applications. 

2. 24/7 service availability:

   By locking down Chromebooks to autoload and running only approved applications or websites, Chromebook kiosks can provide a convenient self-service option for citizen services, enabling public sector agencies to offer services 24/7. 

3. Enhanced engagement:

   Due to their intuitive interface, Chromebook kiosks ensure better user engagement and can also result in reduced queue wait times. 

What are the real-world applications of Chromebook kiosks?

Let’s take a quick look at the real-world applications of Chromebook kiosks in major industries:

1. Education:

   Chromebook kiosks can be used in educational institutions for offering a distraction-free, secure learning experience. By leveraging a feature-rich MDM solution, like SureMDM, IT admins can convert existing Chromebooks into Chromebook kiosks, which can help restrict access to device settings and hardware keys. 

2. Healthcare:

   In government-run hospitals and clinics, Chromebook kiosks can be used by the public to check in or schedule medical appointments, access medical records, and other relevant patient information. Chromebook kiosks can also be used by medical staff to access medical records, healthcare portals, and other relevant information.  

3. Government services:

   To keep up with the demands of today’s citizens, public sector firms prioritize offering secure and disruption-free digital experiences. As such, Chromebooks are now used by them to provide access to citizen services, like viewing public information, paying bills, and filing reports. 

4. Libraries and community centers:

   Chromebook kiosks are a great way to provide free internet access at public libraries and community centers, driving government initiatives to promote digital literacy among the general public. 

5. Transportation hubs:

   Public transportation agencies can leverage Chromebooks to display information and enable self-service experiences for passengers, such as purchasing tickets and web check-in. 

Simplify the provisioning of kiosk mode on Chromebooks with SureMDM

To effectively facilitate public engagement through digital technologies, government and public sector agencies need to adopt solutions that offer both convenience and security to the public. Leveraging a feature-rich MDM solution, like SureMDM, is the first step in achieving these objectives. 

SureMDM has a proven track record of enabling government agencies to secure and manage all types of devices across different locations. With multi-OS support and kiosk lockdown functionalities, SureMDM provides a single platform to fully provision, secure, and manage large fleets of devices. By leveraging SureMDM to convert Chromebooks into Chromebook kiosks, IT teams can effectively prepare their devices for both government operations and public usage.