Posted by Jennifer Burns on Thu, Jul 22, 2010
As you probably know by now, we love educational events. A month or so back, we started hearing teasers regarding a new event focused on Enterprise Mobility. Now that it has come to fruition, we are giddy. Admittedly, I am a geek. Feel free to poke fun.
CTIA will be hosting the CTIA Enterprise & Application Conference in San Francisco October 5th-8th. Prior to the event, The Enterprise Mobility Foundation will be kicking off Enterprise Mobility Boot Camp - a Two-Part Power Session for IT/Telecom professionals who need unbiased advice from mobile enterprise experts.
Enterprise Mobility Boot Camp Part I: Examines the "hot issues of the day" for the mobile enterprise, and then dives deep into the tactical considerations IT/Telecom professionals face every day. A range of strategies for maximizing the mobile enterprise through mobile applications and a hosted networking reception rounds out day one programming.
Enterprise Mobility Boot Camp Part II: Enables IT/Telecom professionals to learn about leading vendors in the space, participate in a peer-to-peer, rapid-fire "Speed Networking" session to make valuable connections and finally engage in an "Ask the Experts" panel/break-out session with leading enterprise mobility analysts.
To find out more information or to register, click here.
I know that I need to get into shape and there is always more to learn in this dynamic area, so I will definitely be there! I hope to see you.
Posted by Jennifer Burns on Fri, May 28, 2010
I came across an article entitled BlackBerry vs. iPhone for the Business yesterday and it left me curious.
The article presents the argument that the iPhone is positioned to overtake the BlackBerry as the "ultimate business phone".
What struck me specifically was the decision by Standard Chartered Bank to offer all of their employees the opportunity to ditch their BlackBerries for iPhones. I guess I was really curious as to what the thinking was behind this. From an employee perspective, I thought, "wow, that was really nice of them".
But, from a mobility management perspective, I had bunch of questions as to how they arrived at the decision to implement this mass initiative. Then I was reminded of a great video by Philippe Winthrop that addresses the question we run into daily, "What mobile device should I get for work?". Check it out, it is short and to the point. It approaches this question like the 'Chicken or the egg' argument from a mobility management strategy standpoint.
We agree with Philippe in the thinking that this should typically be the last question (not the first) you should ask when considering a mobile device for work.
You should actually consider two other areas prior to the actual device itself.
1. The Individual Who actually should get a device? Who needs it to perform the job effectively? Sales probably need them while HR may not.
2. The Use or Purpose What will the device be used for? what are the applications that will be required? What kind of data will be stored on it? Is it sensitive data? What kind of secuirty will be required?
The answers to these questions should drive the answer as to what device an employee should receive.
If one mobile device works for every individual and for every type of use across your organization...great, sounds like smooth sailing from a management perspective for you. If you don't fall under this utopian scenario, I hope you will consider the approach above.
Have a great weekend!!!
Posted by Jennifer Burns on Fri, Apr 30, 2010
With over 90% of companies today have employees using smartphones within their organizations (according to Strategy Analytics), there is an area that needs to be immediately addressed by all. You need a company-wide mobile policy. It is an absolute essential! At a minimum, a strongly defined and enforced mobile policy can help keep expenses in control, protect your data, and produce a more efficient workforce. It can even ensure that your organization is not held liable for employee-incurred damages.
I understand that creating a corporate mobile policy is easier said then done. Until now. During a webinar we hosted today, Philippe Winthrop, our guest speaker discussed this topic in depth and he shared an AWESOME FREE TOOL for IT and LoB decision makers who are struggling to define a mobility policy for their organization. The document provides a number of policies and sample language that you can use to build your policy. Click here or visit theemf.org to download it.
By now, you all know that I am a Tip sharing junkie...so here are two that were uncovered during the webinar.
#1 Create a task force that includes individuals from different areas in your organization to help create your policy. Solicit members from IT (obviously), HR, the executive team, Sales, and so on. All of these areas help bring in different perspectives to ensure your policy is in line with productivity, purchasing profiles, security needs, etc.
#2 Your mobile policy should be updated, reviewed and signed by employees annually at a minimum. And don't forget about new hires...they should see it as soon as that Blackberry hits their palm.
So there, no more excuses..stop procrastinating!
by walknboston
Posted by Jennifer Burns on Thu, Feb 18, 2010
I promised to share some tips that were discussed during our most recent
webinar so here is one that stood out to me.
Last year, $4.2 billion in mobile applications were sold according to Gartner. The number of applications that enterprises support has increased by 50% over the last year alone. Yet shockingly, only 50% of organizations actually manage and continuously monitor their mobile users' applications.
I get it, managing all of those applications seems to be a a daunting task but let me put the implications into perspective for you. There are some downsides that need to be considered when determining what your approach will be. The biggest downside at stake for you - your time.
While mobile devices have helped make the workforce more productive and responsive to clients, they can also actually result in productivity issues. Non-work related applications can be downloaded and can lead to an inefficient use of employees' time. Is Tetris really necessary on that mobile? Even more concerning is that by not monitoring these downloads - you have now left your company more vulnerable to harmful malware attacks which can compromise confidential information. Who ends up having to deal with the burden? You. You are now answering more helpdesk requests and spending your valuable time troubleshooting these issues.
To make a long story short, be proactive and make it your corporate policy to monitor and manage mobile applications. Your time is valuable and it will save you in the long run.
Posted by Jennifer Burns on Thu, Feb 04, 2010
The statistics say that Americans alone replace 130 million mobiles a year. And with all the new hot technology that is being release on a daily basis, I am pretty sure this figure going to increase. With that in mind, I thought I would share another little tip with you guys. There are some good options out for those of you looking to discard your old phone. And tossing it in the trash is not one of them (which is actually illegal in a number of states and counties). Remember the old "Reuse, Reduce, Recycle" motto - well it applies to your phone as well. Whether you are interested in being more "Green" or would like to be charitable, there is a choice for you. There are even options for those of you in charge of getting rid of all outdated phones in your organization. Here are just a few that I came across when I was looking to get rid of mine:
Anyway, check out Recellular and GRC Recycling. Both organizations make it really easy to get rid of your phone and guarantee that it won't end up in a landfill.
I would love to hear what you guys have done in the past, so please share!
-photo by TheTruthAbout...
Posted by Piers Tyler on Tue, Feb 02, 2010
Jenn, our esteemed Marketing Director, has asked me to write something for our blog regarding the market here in SE Asia.
One of my biggest challenges in this region is the considerable number of organisations expensing business-related mobile phone charges, rather than using a corporate-liable service. In my experience, this is particularly common in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Whilst this gives an individual freedom to choose the service, plan and handset they want, it causes headaches for a business. Personally contracted rates and equipment costs are typically higher than those negotiated collectively by an organization. Intra-fleet discounts are difficult for carriers to apply across multiple accounts, and there is clearly a cost for carriers to issue bills and collect debts from numerous users. Even if individually contracted users have access to a corporate plan how can administrators be sure that the correct rates have been applied for each user? Security and manageability of data and applications is a minefield. Reporting and validation is difficult without consolidated billing, and of course, processing the expenses is laborious and costly. On the plus side - you can be sure that your business is only paying for people still employed by the business.
On the flip side, corporate liability appears to solve all of the problems above, but puts the onus for administration and validation back on to an organization. That's when you need a TEM solution to ensure you optimise your costs.
I have heard of a number of large organisations that are mandating a switch back to corporate liability, but this has typically been instigated when moving to a new supplier.
I'd be interested to hear people's views on this...please share your insights.
Anyway, I hope you found this interesting. I'll be back again soon.
photo by Henryleonghw
Posted by Jennifer Burns on Mon, Jan 11, 2010
We recently organized and recorded a webinar featuring Cliff Cibelli of Verizon and Mark Evans of Quickcomm. The webinar was designed to leave attendees with a knowledge of the building blocks required to successfully create your company's managed mobility program...and hopefully alleviate some of the stress that the recent mobile explosion is causing many of you out there.
Feel free to fill out the form and watch the playback at your leisure. Click here to access.
Posted by Jennifer Burns on Tue, Dec 15, 2009
I had a "Whoa" moment recently that I wanted to share. Did you know that if one of your employees gets into an accident while talking on corporate-liable device, your company may be liable for the damages? Well, I had no idea. It is a pretty disturbing thought. In fact, in 2005 Beers Skanska had to settle a suit $4.75 million after one of its employees slammed into a stationary car while reaching to retrieve a message on a mounted, handsfree cell phone. I sat on a great webinar hosted by the VoiceReport that discussed this and different tactics an organization can use to police mobile devices. Some of the tips included:
The key here is to make sure that you have your employees review, agree and sign off on your policy every year...at a minimum. CYA.
There are also some pretty cool tools/services out there that will disable certain functions (ie. texting and emailing) while driving. It actually monitors the phone's location, acceleration and velocity and shuts down functionality. The service carrier neutral and is just a few dollars a month. Thats a small price to pay when you consider a $4.75 M payout for a mistake.
Come to think of it, this may give parents with teenagers a little peace of mind when they get behind the wheel.
Unfortunately they weren't able to record the webinar but you can access the presentation materials here. It is definitely worth a scan.
Photo by by jk5854
Posted by Mark Evans on Mon, Dec 14, 2009
In response to John's recent post:
Monthly billing for smart phones is far more expensive than simple voice devices. My iphone would come in with data roaming at hundreds of dollars per month - where it used to be around a hundred. This alone makes it worth scrutiny. Add to this the complexity of the information contained; all the various categories of charges and then subsequent detail and I would easily spend 30 mins each bill satisfying myself that I really did rack up $500.
Its an easy stretch then to imagine
what its like for corporations receiving 20,000 such invoices (some corporate liable and some not) each month and having the task of being able to answer the question by their CFO... "This is huge! Are they right?"
photo by cybrgrl
Posted by John Bruce on Mon, Dec 14, 2009
The line between personal and business use of company assets has always been a little blurry - never called home from your desk?- but with smartphones it's becoming way more than that.
If, like me, you use a smartphone (mine's an iPhone) for business use and it's one that you chose and expense personally, then you're an ‘individual-liable' user. (not to be confused with a ‘corporate-liable' ). And you're a member of the fastest growing group in the adoption of mobile devices for business use. You also represent a great opportunity for business productivity, but at the same time you're a management challenge.
Stephen Drake of IDC has just published a good primer about the business challenges in employee use of smartphones and some initial recommendations for those of you just beginning to come to terms with the issue. Worth a read.
Photo by niallkennedy