As the computing power of mobile devices continues to increase, the question of going all mobile is only a matter of when, not if. Along with cloud computing, many of the ‘as a service’ solutions currently being offered can be accessed on mobile devices. So whether you want software, infrastructure or communications, you can now get it on your smartphone. And as 4G and LTE (News - Alert) networks near completion, mobile VoIP is becoming a viable alternative to traditional VoIP deployments.
Before you make the move, what are some of the things you should consider? That is what blogs.siliconindia.com answers in the article titled, “7 Things to Consider before Going VoIP Mobile.” As per the article they are, consistency, granting access to external users, affordability, cloud-based technology, evolving technology and security.
Those are all great points, but there are some additional considerations organizations must take during their decision-making process. The move to mobile VoIP or all mobile is going to be deployed by SMBs first, because they don’t have the complexities and evolving workforce of enterprises.
In order to have a fully integrated mobile device, it must provide PBX (News - Alert) end-user experience. Whether it is from the service provider or an application from a third-party vendor, this is essential. Without true PBX features, the business can’t carry out professional communications between its customers, partners, vendors and employees. Currently integration is limited to being an extension of the desktop, so better solutions have to be introduced in the marketplace.
Because there is no uniformity across mobile devices, finding solutions that can provide consistency no matter what device or platform is being used is a top priority.
The disparate systems must come together across any operational condition instead of vendor-supplied mobile applications.
The current mobile systems have been designed for consumers first. The transition by operators for businesses will require operators to start offering price points that companies can accept. Since VoIP is data driven, businesses with many employees can quickly rack up large volumes of data usage.
Operators are still not offering all-mobile service solutions for organizations that want to be mobile only. So businesses have to look for alternatives, and right now cloud-based solutions are the way to go.
Although mobility management is evolving quite rapidly, in almost every instance, it is to manage the mobile deployment of organizations that have traditional or hosted PBX systems already in place. An all-mobile organization will require robust administration, management and billing systems; services which might not be fully available, especially for large enterprises.
Security is always going to be on the list of any digital deployment and this is no exception. An all mobile deployment will require solutions that can monitor, transfer, locate, wipe and protect the mobile devices of every employee. Additionally clear boundaries must be established between business and personal use. The technology to carry out these functions is already in the marketplace, but when the entire organization is using mobile VoIP, new challenges will present themselves.
As of right now, all if not most businesses have some form of mobile deployment. It may be as part of a BYOD initiative or company-owned devices. So they know the mobile technology is a reliable solution, and as mobile technology delivers more functionality, it will be the choice for many companies.
Just as every new technology is met with some trepidation, deploying mobile VoIP maybe not be for everyone at first, but neither was desktop VoIP.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson