Telecoms.com: Managing the Mobile Device Lifecycle
by Matt Bancroft, CMO, Mformation Technologies
Every day, new mobile phones are introduced that are increasingly similar to handheld computers rather than simple phones. It's not just that a growing percentage of devices are smartphones or PDAs; but that all mobile devices are increasing in power and capability, as is evidenced by the launch of the Apple iPhone and the Nokia N-series.
Advanced features and services such as cameras, MP3 players, multimedia messaging, email and mobile TV are increasingly offered as base capabilities on new phones rather than as extras.
As mobile devices have become more sophisticated, more business customers are using them every day, becoming dependent on them in a variety of ways. Through all this the device lifecycle for some users, particularly for businesses using the 'smarter' smartphones and PDAs, has extended to 18-24 months. The more complex the device, the bigger the investment in it and the longer its lifetime is likely to be.
With more and more businesses using these advanced applications, mobile operators are faced with the challenge of finding a scalable way to keep individual devices healthy and up to date and their users happy, while at the same time managing a broad universe of devices, often more than 1,000 different makes and models. To add to the complication, there are now two layers of user in business: the IT manager, who often selects the device and the operator, and the end-user, whose first port of call for assistance with the device will often be their company's IT support organisation.
The types of challenges faced by operators serving the enterprise market vary widely; from provisioning and activating basic services to providing new and updated customised services and applications. All of this must happen without requiring IT managers or end-users to physically take their devices in for service. Some of the larger mobile operators report that calls for problems with complex mobile devices and data services can take three to six times as long (and can cost three to six times as much) as calls for voice problems. Many of these problems are not resolved in a single call, which not only wastes time, but also elevates support costs, which will likely be passed on to customers in the long run.
Businesses are a burgeoning market for new mobile data services and applications. Companies are finding that 'going mobile' can significantly increase the productivity of many employees, helping these businesses to gain a competitive edge in their market. Capitalising on this trend, mobile operators are increasingly focused on finding ways to encourage adoption and usage of these services and applications on both existing and new devices. The surest way to accomplish this is to make it as easy as possible for business users to obtain, activate and use these applications and services.
Operators need to manage the mobile devices of their business customers through their entire lifecycle - from the time the device is first activated, through all types of updates, upgrades and support issues, until the day it is finally replaced. To support devices throughout their lifecycles, operators need a method of managing them that is as comprehensive as the range of devices, services and applications being managed.
The first challenge is activating and configuring the device for the voice and data services. This needs to be done seamlessly, automatically and invisibly; when the user first turns on the device, all services and capabilities should be available and working correctly. This is not a simple task, given the number of different devices, services and applications to be configured. It is a crucial task though, as it sets the tone and expectations for the future relationship between the budget-holding customer and the operator.
Businesses expect to receive security updates, patches and new applications throughout a device's life with minimal fuss; in fact, a recent survey revealed that 65 per cent of businesses would switch mobile operators if they were offered a comprehensive mobile device management service by a competitor. As such, there is no room for operators to scrimp in this area, as businesses will not shy away from change if it will increase efficiency and productivity.
Smart, real-time, remote diagnosis of handset and service problems ensures the speedy resolution of a wide range of issues. With a reliable means of accessing device vital signs, diagnosing device and service problems, and then sending updated settings or applications to resolve them, customers have positive experiences and both operators and businesses can achieve significant savings on support calls. When the only direct interaction between individual end-users or IT managers and the operator is the customer care centre, it is vital to an operator to ensure that businesses are not disappointed by the service that they receive.
On the security front, mobile operators can already stop calls from being made from lost or stolen devices. However, the 'smart' mobile phones most often used for business differ from 'ordinary' mobile phones, in that they contain a significant amount of memory. A smartphone memory card can hold over 1GB of data, and this will continue to develop with the launch of every new handset.
Business users are particularly vulnerable to data loss, as their devices contain all kinds of information, from confidential announcements to financial results and business in progress. A thief can still potentially access this information even if calls can no longer be made from a stolen handset. Losing any of this sensitive information, or having it fall into the wrong hands, can result not only in lost time, but also in loss of reputation and trust between the business and its customers, and potentially also financial losses due to inadvertent breaching of regulations such as the Data Protection Act. In recent research carried out by Coleman Parkes, 10 per cent of UK CIOs questioned admitted losing sensitive data through the loss or misuse of a mobile device. This is not an imagined threat, and it could happen to anybody. The ability to back up and restore critical information if something goes wrong, and to secure data against loss by locking lost phones and wiping them clean, can therefore be an invaluable service for any business mobile user.
The only way to ensure the consistent delivery of the services businesses want is to get an end-to-end perspective on those they already receive. Devices incorporating intelligent, software-based monitoring technology can transparently and dynamically monitor the actual user experience with voice and data services, while giving operators an end-to-end perspective from the core of their network to the devices. With such an accurate picture, operators can pinpoint and resolve bottlenecks, maximise service availability and optimise service and network planning for the benefit of the end user.
Managing mobile devices is a tough and complex job - and it is only getting tougher as ever more sophisticated devices enter the market, more services are created and the range of network options expands from traditional mobile networks to new wireless technologies such as wifi and WiMAX. Businesses will only choose those operators who can support the widest variety of networks, devices, operating systems and applications to meet all the needs of a successful, growing business. Businesses need an operator that can manage every device from the instant it is activated and throughout the rest of its life. By taking on this management challenge, operators can lower costs while assisting IT managers in dealing with new mobile technologies. All this must be done simultaneously to provide a consistently positive experience for everyone using mobile devices as they work.