Enterprise Mobility Solutions; One-Size Does Not Fit All

As mobility continues to drive the market, and enterprises strive to become more and more flexible with their solutions, the challenge is to find ways to make the same streamlined processes available to all, no matter what technology is involved or how large or small the business may be.

In the world of enterprise mobility, different sizes of businesses often have a great disparity with how their infrastructures and mobile solutions operate. Contrary to what many think, operating a mobility based infrastructure for a large-scale enterprise is often simpler than for a smaller business.

Large enterprises are typically streamlined, offering standard technology solutions to their employees and customers, making refresh processes, IT solutions, data sharing, desktop virtualization, and cloud networking into a simpler process than it often is with smaller business that have disparate technology. Many smaller enterprises offer Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) solutions. BYOD solutions can be more challenging, and may require constant maintenance and upkeep to stay on-top of the technology trend.

Mobile technology can give businesses a competitive advantage, but the gains in productivity and collaboration also bring the need to solve security and management challenges.

Mobility is infiltrating every aspect of the work environment, and completely taking over many of the traditional work station desktop environments. Many environments are transitioning to tablets to facilitate the mobility they need in a modern workforce. Until now, tablets have been a viable, but often difficult solution, because they have not operated in the same manner as traditional desktops. While tablets are still not a one-size-fits-all solution, many of the newer models are equipped with Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions and Windows operating systems that allow them to sync more fluidly with stationary workspaces. New tablets are opening the door to allow support organizations to manage these environments with relative simplicity, just like traditional work station environments have been managed thus far.

One of the most cited reasons enterprises choose to outsource mobility solutions is because of the massive turnover rate with technology. For a standard mobile device, the average needed refresh rate is nine to 12 months. BYOD enterprises need to stay on top of the latest trends in technology as new devices are introduced on a monthly basis. For older, standard desktop environments, the refresh rate is much slower, needing only every 24-48 months. No matter the size of the enterprise, handling such rapid mobility turnover can be a significant challenge, as well as a financial and time restraint.

Outsourcing a mobility management solution is cost effective for many enterprises, allowing them to focus on how they use their devices, rather than constantly maintaining and upgrading those devices. The same principles hold true for operating systems, as well as devices.

If an IT management company is effectively delivering services, they are partnering with multiple solution companies, as well as many manufacturers, in order to bring the widest variety of solutions and the greatest expertise to their clients.

Finding the right partner for these solutions can be tricky, and avoiding companies who claim to handle every aspect of mobility support may be the first step in the right direction.

Technology can be life changing, productive, and effective, but without the right people behind that technology, it can be completely useless. The best investment you can make for your enterprise is to find a support team of people who are not only up to date on the latest technology, but people who can leverage that technology for the capacity in which you need it. Whether you have an internal IT team, or an outsourced solution, the management of your technology is the most important aspect of your mobility solution.

Finding a company who can meet all of these needs can be a challenge. The best thing to look for when choosing a mobility solution partner is making sure you don’t find a company that offers one-sized-fits-all solutions. With these one-sized solutions, enterprises are getting solutions that may or may not benefit them, all while getting nickeled and dimed to death making that solution work for them.

Flexibility is key, finding a solution that works for your individual enterprise is the best thing you can do for your mobile workforce, as well as your budget. Customized solutions are where you will find the most profitability, as well as the most productivity for your employees.

When determining what is right for you in a mobile solutions provider, ask the following questions:

• Do they offer flexible solutions for smaller and larger enterprises?
• Do they work with a variety of technology, including BYOD solutions?
• Will they partner with us on the level of service we desire, rather than requiring full management of our IT infrastructure?
• What kind of partnerships do they have?
• Do they work directly with other service providers and manufacturers, or do they handle everything in-house?

If you are interested in learning more about customized mobility solutions, and how they can benefit your entire infrastructure, call Bell Techlogix as 888-612-8261.