Managing mobility as a business imperative
Over a decade ago, mobile telephones entered the enterprise through the back door: employees who could afford mobiles occasionally used them for business; specific business units budgeted for employee devices and then procured them locally; policies surrounding the usage of mobile phones for work were – where they existed at all – haphazard; there was little means of policy enforcement; and in no case were these mobile phones integrated into a business’s fixed telephony strategy, let alone its IT strategy. This stands in sharp contrast to other office technologies, such as PCs, faxes and copiers.
Fast forward to the present, and the picture painted above still applies to a majority of businesses, large and small. In short, most companies do not manage their mobile estate as if it were an asset and, therefore, miss out not only on opportunities to save costs, but also on the benefits which a strategic approach to mobile management can bring about.
Here we offer a short guide for enterprises as they establish and then continue to evolve their managed mobility strategies. We investigate:
- the barriers to managing mobility and the potential benefits firms can realise from taking a more global, coordinated approach
- the components of a complete managed mobility service, and which might create the most value for firms with differing requirements
- how an enterprise can navigate the complex world of potential managed mobility partners, including specialists, systems integrators and carriers
- best practice with respect to how a business should manage an ongoing relationship with its mobility partners.
Fast forward to the present, and the picture painted above still applies to a majority of businesses, large and small. In short, most companies do not manage their mobile estate as if it were an asset and, therefore, miss out not only on opportunities to save costs, but also on the benefits which a strategic approach to mobile management can bring about.
Here we offer a short guide for enterprises as they establish and then continue to evolve their managed mobility strategies. We investigate:
- the barriers to managing mobility and the potential benefits firms can realise from taking a more global, coordinated approach
- the components of a complete managed mobility service, and which might create the most value for firms with differing requirements
- how an enterprise can navigate the complex world of potential managed mobility partners, including specialists, systems integrators and carriers
- best practice with respect to how a business should manage an ongoing relationship with its mobility partners.
Executive summary
In a nutshell
Ovum view
The first step? Think globally
A local, piecemeal approach has significant drawbacks
Local control hinders mobile asset optimisation
Controlling costs is difficult when dealing with multiple local carriers
Rolling out business-critical applications requires IT alignment
Local procurement makes integrating mobility into IT a dim prospect
Managing locally based supplier relationships can be time consuming
Understanding managed mobility services
The complete service cycle has only just emerged
Invoice and expense management is often the first step
Assets, logistics and fulfilment services are critical components
Mobile device management services should support complexity
Mobile application management must align to overall application strategy
Service management is often overlooked, but essential
Navigate the supplier landscape
No single type of provider dominates
Consider both single and multi-vendor options
Systems integrators – an IT-led approach
Carriers – the access experts
Specialists – pros and cons
Translate your needs into supplier selection
Manage the ongoing relationship
In a nutshell
Ovum view
The first step? Think globally
A local, piecemeal approach has significant drawbacks
Local control hinders mobile asset optimisation
Controlling costs is difficult when dealing with multiple local carriers
Rolling out business-critical applications requires IT alignment
Local procurement makes integrating mobility into IT a dim prospect
Managing locally based supplier relationships can be time consuming
Understanding managed mobility services
The complete service cycle has only just emerged
Invoice and expense management is often the first step
Assets, logistics and fulfilment services are critical components
Mobile device management services should support complexity
Mobile application management must align to overall application strategy
Service management is often overlooked, but essential
Navigate the supplier landscape
No single type of provider dominates
Consider both single and multi-vendor options
Systems integrators – an IT-led approach
Carriers – the access experts
Specialists – pros and cons
Translate your needs into supplier selection
Manage the ongoing relationship
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Local control of mobile procurement and operation
Figure 2: The complete managed mobility service cycle
Figure 3: No single type of supplier dominates
Figure 1: Local control of mobile procurement and operation
Figure 2: The complete managed mobility service cycle
Figure 3: No single type of supplier dominates
