If You're Not Ready to Support Mobile, You're Already Behind
February 25, 2016
By Susan J. Campbell
TMCnet Contributing Editor
Has anything changed the way we live more than the smartphone? A quick glance around the room last night in our Bible study group was the perfect example – only three people out of 24 were holding a physical Bible. Everyone else was looking at the Bible app on their smartphone. Parties now include more selfies than conversation; trips are constantly updated and archived on social media; and employees no longer need to be in the physical office to be easily reached.
The age of mobility is here and it’s dominated by the smartphone. As a result, a number of companies have opted to implement a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategy. But simply allowing employees to bring their own devices for use is not a guarantee that the strategy will work. It takes a focused approach, integrated call accounting and clear policies put in place and enforced by the IT department to be successful.
At the same time, there are other steps that IT departments need to take in order to successfully support the BYOD strategy. For one, bandwidth capacity needs to be expanded. We’re doing more and more online now and mobility gives us even easier access. Employees will use the Wi-Fi available in-house to manage their apps and connectivity, which can easily strain the network if it’s not ready for such an influx.
IT managers also need to select robust mobile device management software. Not every employee who uses their smartphone to access the network is going to stay around forever. And, it’s not uncommon for mobile devices to be lost or stolen. IT departments need a way to remotely wipe devices so as to ensure data and other proprietary information is safe. Encryption and biometrics are worth considering in order to keep the user safe and enterprise information out of the hands of those without permission for access.
Plus, some of the same technology can be used to capture analytics, while also protecting the privacy of the individual. Call accounting can be a vital tool, enabling companies to get a better handle on where communications are the more dominate and which departments are more heavily using mobile as a way to stay connected, whether in-house or on the go. Given that Gartner (News - Alert) predicts that 38 percent of companies will stop giving their employees devices by the end of this year and by 2020, 85 percent will implement a BYOD strategy, it’s time to take a closer look at current capabilities for support.
No matter the direction a company plans to take with their approach to mobile, the reality is mobile is here to stay. Having a clear understanding of the role it plays in the enterprise and for its users is crucial.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi