Wireless expense management: the challenges of managing mobile devices

Wireless Expense Management: The Challenges of Managing Mobile Devices by Peter Verhoeff

The need for telecom expense management (TEM) is especially pressing for mobile devices. The costs of mobile telecommunications continue to rise for some important reasons. More and more people avail themselves of recent technological advances that enable them to work away from their desks. The number of laptops, cell phones, PDAs, smartphones and similar mobile devices continues to go up and, as users become familiar with them, they tend to use them more intensively. In addition, as new features are developed (as with ring tones, for example), users sign up for them, which also drives up the costs.

There is also a lot of churn in mobile devices as users discard last year’s “obsolete” model for the latest and greatest new gadget. Many companies budget for a 20% or higher annual replacement rate.

In addition to rising costs, there is also a security concern. Mobile devices often contain company confidential data that can end up in the wrong hands when a mobile device is lost or stolen. The results of this can be disastrous. Of course, these mobile and portable devices run a much greater risk of theft or loss than a desktop PC. And the fact that these devices move around a lot makes them harder to keep track of, so they may not get inventoried and important upgrades may not be carried out. Further, mobile devices may pick up viruses or other malware and pass them on to the corporate network.

Managing mobile devices is a neglected area in many companies. According to a Forrester Research report, only about 9% of corporations surveyed are actually using mobile management tools. Many seem to believe that managing mobile devices is too big a job, if they think it possible at all. In reality, effective control is possible, both in terms of costs and security.

Among the first steps to take is to develop and implement effective corporate policy on mobile devices, covering such topics as who can have what, how the mobile devices are to be used, how confidential information is to be protected, what to do if a device is lost or stolen, etc.

A vital part of the move toward greater security and cost-effectiveness is employee education. Employees need to be aware of their responsibilities, as they cannot be expected to be vigilant about safeguarding corporate data if they do not understand its importance.

Controlling mobile telecom costs with a good telecom expense management system, which is capable of tracking mobile devices, is a wise investment to make. The TEM system is the tool of choice, not only for controlling and reducing telecom costs, but also to assist in reducing security risks.

These three things together: Corporate policy, employee education and telecom expense management form a strong basis for greater security and reduced costs.

For more information about telecom expense management, visit the Telsoft Solutions website.

Author, Peter Verhoeff, writes articles on the business benefits of call accounting and call detail record technology. More information can be found at http://www.telsoft-solutions.com.