When looking at a corporate cell phone policy, decision makers can often find service plans that meet their needs, but struggle with the cost of adding devices. With the recent spike in mobile phone costs to well over $1000 for the latest models and with operator subsidies a thing of the past, SMB companies can be looking at an outlay of $50K-100K to equip the staff with new devices.
These staggering costs have greatly accelerated the adoption of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies. A Samsung study estimated that only 17% of companies provided devices to employees and, in 2018, Frost & Sullivan polled major corporations and found that 78% had a mobile policy that allowed for employees to use their own phones. Years back, corporate IT managers were worried that devices that the company did not own posed a threat if employees had downloaded malicious apps/ringtones that could steal data from the device. Mobile device management (MDM) companies stepped into this void and allowed companies to secure a personal device yet easily remove the software once the employee left the company. The early days of Airwatch and MobileIron were clunky with cumbersome software that slowed phones, drained batteries and didn’t allow for much customization. As their software evolved and device processing and memory expanded, the service operated more smoothly allowing end users both a personal and work life on the same device. This security enhancement enabled corporate IT managers to become more comfortable with employees using their own devices.
Offering mobile service for your staff is beneficial to the company’s bottom line irrespective of whether the company offers phones or has a BYOD policy. A Fliplet study showed that employees who could access corporate applications at home worked almost an extra 5 hours per week. The additional 240 annual hours added approximately $5000 in bottom line value for companies.
The financial benefits of having connected employees are clear, and providing mobile service is something companies should do if they want their employees to be available at non-traditional times or to clients. With remote working getting a global trial for the last year, many companies have rushed to help employees outfit their homes with office appliances and one of those elements should be mobile service. If companies spend a little time understanding their employees’ use cases, it’s pretty easy to find plans that are cost effective for the company and still provide excellent service for the staff. iSimplexity offers unlimited mobile plans from all 3 major US operators starting at just $25/month – 50% less than the typical corporate mobile plan. Check us out and see how we can add value for your team.
