How Wireless Carriers are Changing the Managed Mobility Services Market

We’ve all seen the huge impact that mobile technology has had on the business world. The constant influx of mobile phones and tablets in the workplace has had many benefits including contributing to an era of increased productivity with employees’ ability to be always on and connected. But, while organizations are benefitting from this explosive use of mobile technology, there are also complications that come along with employees bringing their own devices into the workforce, as these devices require access to corporate systems. These changes have made it much more difficult to find a one-size-fits-all solution for enterprise mobility management.

Enterprises are realizing how difficult it is to address all the mobility needs stemming from numerous device types and platforms, and they are on a mission to find Managed Mobility Services (MMS) that offer a full range of solutions to control the growing cost of mobility– from handling expenses, to data security, to help desk support. Many enterprises are turning to multiple incongruous systems to handle their mobility, but have had limited success with this approach, which can be costly and difficult to manage. Others are turning towards their wireless carrier to provide a one stop shop for resolving all of these mobility demands.

Wireless carriers, such as Rogers Communications, Vodafone and Orange, are emerging as a strong competitor in the MMS market for enterprises.

What’s driving this shift?

This shift may seem unexpected, but it makes sense. Organizations have relied on their wireless carriers for a variety of services like phone and Internet for years. Managed mobility services are emerging as yet another amenity that carriers can provide for their enterprise customers.  These MMS services can include application management, expense management and mobile device management.

Benefits to the Carrier

By offering MMS solutions, carriers can round out the suite of services they offer enterprise customers, making them a more valued partner and up-selling their solutions.

In order for carriers to smoothly transition into the enterprise market, they must first ensure that they have the proper tools available. Carriers can join forces with several vendors to piece together a comprehensive MMS portfolio, but as we’ve seen with enterprises, this can be very difficult to manage. A far wiser option is to partner with a single vendor that provides an integrated MMS solution.

Choosing a partner with an integrated MMS offering allows the carrier to increase efficiency and lower the costs that are then passed along to the enterprise. For example, if an employee leaves the organization, all of the resulting actions that need to be taken to ensure their BYOD device is secure can be organized under the integrated MMS solution. The device can be deactivated and wiped and a box can be shipped to the employee to send the device back, therefore seamlessly linking the needs of the HR, procurement and IT departments. An integrated MMS offering accomplishes this with little complexity and minimal down-time.

Benefits to the Enterprise

Enterprises rely on MMS solutions to assist with keeping the growing cost of mobility down while highlighting the growing efficiency of mobility and BYOD. By leaving the mobility management challenges to a trusted outside source, organizations can reap the benefits of these essential capabilities without the hassle.

With more mobile devices and platforms incorporated in the workforce, managing mobility will only become more complex. To optimize an organization’s expenses, time and assets, outsourcing managed mobility will grow into a more popular and effective solution. I anticipate that carriers will be a major player in the future of managed mobility.

Daniel Rudich is Senior Vice President at Tangoe. He is a proven sales, marketing and business development executive with over 15 years of experience in new product introductions and market segment creation in high revenue growth environments. Mr. Rudich has closed millions of dollars of software licensing transactions with leading Mobility and Telecom companies such as Sprint, Bell, Intel and AMD. He has a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and International Business from McGill University and an MBA with a concentration in Business Strategy from Yale.