Every modern business requires a network of computers to operate efficiently, and this reality is here to stay. Most commonly, this takes the form of traditional laptops and desktops, combined with online and local server infrastructure to keep everything running as necessary. More recently, specialised miniature computer systems like the Raspberry Pi have been playing an increasingly large role in this model. While initially intimidating, the flexibility of these platforms can make them the perfect fit for businesses of all sizes, and they’re worth looking at no matter your technical expertise.
What is a Raspberry Pi?
A Raspberry Pi is essentially a miniature computer, not much larger than a deck of cards. Now in its fifth iteration, this platform is customisable with different cases and specs, with base kit prices ranging from £48 to £1145. Note that this isn’t the only mini-computer system; it’s just the most famous and well-supported.
The idea behind the Pi is that it takes the flexibility and power of modern computer systems and delivers their uses in as small a package as possible. With modern computer systems hundreds or thousands of times faster than supercomputers of a few decades ago, the Pi boasts immense potential in a huge number of applications.
Uses of the Pi might range from a small streaming box to a full-fledged entertainment machine. While it’s not as fast as a dedicated desktop or laptop computer, it’s still more than powerful enough to handle many mainstream work and entertainment systems. Outside of work, this is perhaps best illustrated by its suitability for comparatively less hardware-demanding media like online casino titles, such as progressive slots. These titles, like Age of the Gods Cash Collect and Green Wizard Fire Blaze, can run at full speed without compromise, just as they do on smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops. The Pi is just another way for users to engage, and in business, they can be even more versatile.
Benefits in vusiness applications
In business applications, the Pi is not usually used as a replacement for a full laptop or desktop. Instead, it tends to be utilised as a system dedicated to one single task. Rather than using a desktop, it’s possible to run a single tool on a Pi, where you can plug in input, generate output, and be on your way.
Within these bounds, the applications are as broad as the user’s knowledge or business needs. Some businesses use them as a dedicated bot for helping sort through user questions before handing them to human representatives if necessary. They can equally be used as security monitoring systems to block traffic, or operate as a VPN gateway to protect your data, for instance.
A properly configured Raspberry Pi could form the basis of a POS system or handle customer input and queries on a touch screen. They might be used to coordinate signage, to update LCD panels, or to act as sign-in systems for staff arriving at work. Since they’re so dedicated to singular tasks and come in unusual form factors, they can also be more difficult for people to mess around with, since they’re more alien to outsiders than a basic PC system.
The basic considerations of a Raspberry Pi are simple – if you feel you’re wasting a PC on a single task, then a Pi might be the perfect alternative. They’re cheap, flexible, and secure in a way that traditional systems are not. If you’re okay with the learning curve, or can hire somebody to do the work for you, they can save you enormously in the long term, and power crucial systems which you’ll wonder how you ever did without.
