A Practical Guide to Cellular Management

I went to Orlando a couple of weeks ago to attend Research In Motions’ Wireless Enterprise Symposium 2010 (WES 2010).  There they announced a new operating system, a new device and Mobile Voice System 5.0 (MVS 5.0).

MVS is RIM’s Fixed Mobile Convergent solution.  With MVS, your BlackBerry can leverage all your PBX desk set features.  In fact, your BlackBerry could replace your desk set.   It can even transfer calls from a carrier network over the corporate network seamlessly.  A few advantages of MVS from an Enterprise perspective are as follows:

1. One number reach as all calls are routed (and logged) through the PBX even if the user is on their BlackBerry
2. Only one voice mail to check (PBX)
3. For some highly mobile workers, one may not need to buy desk sets as the BlackBerry is the corporate phone
4. WiFi Calling can help reduce LD and International Roaming charges

There are some nice productivity benefits of MVS.  However, the WES attendees that I talked to stated that for any new projects, they had to position and prove ROI first before they pitched productivity.  A couple of years ago they would position projects from a productivity perspective.  This was an interesting sign of the times.   Furthermore, attendees stated their companies where more interested in smaller incremental but strategic initiatives rather than large multi-year projects.

I attended several sessions on MVS.  In a nutshell, this product can make a big impact in terms of productivity and cost.  However, if an organization elects to roll out MVS for the entire Enterprise, it may require a significant investment in their network to implement an architected network upgrade (i.e. adding sufficient access points).  This could mean that the ROI has to be measured in over 2 years which may not be quick enough to impress senior management.

Upon further reflection, I believe MVS 5.0 roll out may be able to generate savings almost immediately by selecting the right candidates.  My theory goes something like this, in our experience, 80% of the costs are generated from 20% of the subscribers.  So there could be enough capacity to handle a relatively small number of devices.  From a cost perspective, the ideal candidates for WiFi calling are:

1. Users who use their BlackBerrys to make International calls while in their home country
2. Roaming subscribers who work out of a corporate office located in other countries
3. Users who have access to a WiFi network while roaming (i.e. hotel supplied WiFi or hotspot)

So a roll out of specific high impact subscribers will demonstrate savings and satisfy the CFO. The initial savings can help fund network upgrades.  On a longer term perspective, voice mail savings may also be realized.  Since you only need your PBX voice mail, the carrier voice mail is no longer required.  If we value voice mail at $5/mo/subscriber, this represents a 5-10% reduction in wireless spend based on our data.  It may be possible to negotiate more minutes in lieu of the voice mail.

Finally, many organizations that I have met over the past few months are planning to move from a legacy PBX platform to another manufacturer (i.e. Nortel to Cisco).  Purchasing massive quantities of desk sets makes up a significant cost of an Enterprise PBX.  With MVS, a company may need to purchase fewer sets as their BlackBerrys will be their “universal communication device” thereby generating significant savings.

So if your subscribers fit the profile, MVS may be able to generate savings from day one

Written by John Tyl, Smart Thought Technologies Inc. John can be reached at 905.331.5757 or jtyl@smartthought.ca

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As an ISV Select Member of RIM’s BlackBerry Alliance Program, we have been extremely busy preparing for  Wireless Enterprise Symposium. This years event is in Orlando Florida from April 26-29 where we hope to see many of our clients taking advantage of the valuable information sessions and learning from each others experience.  We’ll be there promoting Smart Thought’s value proposition and hope to see you there.

Also, we have decided to alter the schedule of our monthly newsletter as we realize that your schedules are extremely busy. We will now be publishing a quarterly newsletter and continue to provide quality content that we hope is relevant to you mobility requirements.

Stuart Rudner is a Partner in the Labour & Employment group at Miller Thomson LLP, practicing out of the Toronto and Markham offices. Our thanks to Stuart for contributing valuable and insightful content for our newsletter and blog articles.

In the past, I have written and spoken frequently on the topic of how organizations should use policies to their advantage.  With respect to the use of technology, I have said that organizations should be sure to do the following:

1. Have a policy to deal with any issue of concern to the organization
2. Use clear and unambiguous language - avoid vague terms such as “reasonable” where possible 
3. Ensure that the policy complies with the applicable legislation in each jurisdiction where there are employees. (one size does not necessarily fit all)
4. Update the policy as technology and society changes (no one had a policy that referenced social networking sites four years ago…)
5. Monitor behaviour as appropriate to ensure compliance
6. Communicate the policy regularly
   (a)    Make sure all employees & managers are aware of the policy and any changes
   (b)    Post it (hard copy and/or electronic) somewhere accessible
   (c)    Append it to the employee training manual or to employment agreements
   (d)    Have employees sign-off that they have reviewed the policy on a regular basis
   (e)    Have regular reminders (information sessions, distributions / redistributions)
   (f)     Ensure that employees understand the concerns and reasons for the policies
7. Provide training where appropriate to staff and managers
8. Be clear about the consequences of breaching the policy. Warn employees that they may be disciplined up to and including termination
9. Respond immediately and thoroughly to abuse by imposing appropriate discipline

As I have tried to make it clear, the first step is to draft an appropriate policy.  However, as we all recognize, the best drafted policy is completely useless if it is stuffed into a binder and left to collect dust on a shelf.  Once policies are drafted, they must be disseminated and enforced.

With respect to the use of technology, organizations have been encouraged to monitor employee behaviour and compliance with rules and policies.  For example, there is relatively little doubt that employers are entitled to monitor employee internet and e-mail usage on corporate equipment.  This would apply to desktop computers, as well as portable devices such as laptops, Blackberrys and iPhones.  However, a new question is emerging: “what happens when the equipment is not owned by the corporation, but by the employee?”

Recently, there has been a growing trend toward “employee liable devices.”  Essentially, what this means is that instead of having the corporation obtain and distribute equipment such as Blackberrys and being responsible for their cost and maintenance, the devices are purchased individually by the employees, who are responsible for paying for the usage (perhaps with some reimbursement for business usage) and maintenance.

There are a number of reasons why this has become more common.  The recession has led many organizations to tighten their belts and seek new and creative ways to reduce costs.  Having employee liable devices is one way that they can do so.  Furthermore, the exponential growth in the number of devices available has led many employees to ask that they be able to choose their own device, rather than being forced to use the corporate standard.  For example, some employees want to be able to use an iPhone as opposed to a Blackberry.  In the past, organizations typically denied such requests and maintained strict control over the types of devices used and the ways in which they could be used.

Under the corporate liable system, it is relatively easy for an IT department to create “policies” or rules that restrict the functionality of the devices.  For example, while a Blackberry Bold may be capable of recording video, many organizations block this feature.  However, when the staff of the organization is using a multitude of devices, it becomes difficult, if not impossible for IT to maintain significant control.  This creates a very real concern regarding potential liability.  First, it will be difficult for organizations to control how the devices are used, so that cameras, video and other features will be more accessible.  Furthermore, while it may have been relatively easy to monitor what employees were doing on corporate equipment, it will be virtually impossible to do so if the equipment is owned by the employee.  As a result, policy breaches, dissemination of confidential information, and other inappropriate behaviour may not be caught.
Furthermore, the current devices and smartphones are much more that telephones; they are really small computers which carry vast amounts of information.  There is a very real security concern when an organization’s employees are walking around with a virtual filing cabinet that contains information such as customer lists, secret processes, and other confidential information.  While organizations may have technology in place to “wipe” all data on a device when it is reported lost, it is unlikely that they will be able to do so if the device is owned by an individual.  As a result, there is a very real concern that confidential information will be compromised.

The short term gains of switching to an employee liable setup, which may include reduced costs and a reduction in employee complaints over the device chosen, may well be offset by the potential liability that is created.  For that reason, employers should think twice before switching to an employee liable set up.  If they do adopt such an approach, even the best drafted and enforced policies may not be sufficient to protect them from the risks that they expose themselves to.

Stuart E. Rudner
Miller thomson llp
Tel: 905.415.6767
or 416.595.8672
Fax: 905.415.6777
Email: srudner@millerthomson.com
Web: www.millerthomson.com
twitter: CanadianHRLaw

Don’t laugh. This scenario exists with many organizations and administrators are doing good  work managing this area. But in this rapidly growing and complex environment, the time and effort required keep up may just become cost prohibited.
3 Reasons not to use Excel:

1. Not enough capacity
   Excel has a limit on the number of rows that it can store.  This means most organization cannot use Excel to hold detailed usage transactions (i.e. calls and text) thereby limiting the ability to analyze usage trends and patterns such as international roaming and frequently called numbers.
2. Limited reporting capability
   With the complexity of wireless usage one needs the ability to view the data in many different ways.  There is so much detail that you need adequate reporting tools to make sense to the data on an ongoing basis.  Typically organizations that use Excel build and maintain only a handful of reports. Thus, “they can’t adequately manage what they can’t measure.”
3. Ongoing maintenance
   Often wireless carriers change their billing feeds. This means that Excel spreadsheets & macros need to change.  In our experience, the person who made the macro is long gone and the person who owns this is unable to make the changes.  One can get by with Excel in the short term but it is not a long term solution.

 Written by Renato R Gris, Smart Thought Technologies Inc. Renato can be reached  at 905.331.5757 or rgris@smartthought.ca

Most corporate subscribers live under the assumption that their company has negotiated some great cellular rate plans for employees. These “mythical” plans are far from the reality that we find in our analysis of enterprise wireless usage and spending.

Subscribers with this perception typically have a usage behavior that is not aligned with business needs. Subscribers may be utilizing available features without any consideration of cost. In many cases they assume that features like roaming, text alerts, messaging, browsing, downloading and weeknight/weekend calling are all covered under a company plan without ever really seeing the impact of their usage behavior.

Regular distribution of usage and trend information to subscribers has a profound effect on their behavior. Helping them to understand the effects of their actions provides the subscriber the awareness necessary to utilize the organization’s investment in wireless technology optimally.

Improve overall accountability of your subscribers and align your corporate wireless spending with business needs with this simple and effective strategy.

Written by Renato R Gris, Smart Thought Technologies Inc. Renato can be reached  at 905.331.5757 or rgris@smartthought.ca

The challenges and opportunities in managing enterprise mobility technologies is a fluid and ever-changing environment. Coupled alongside the recent global financial crisis, most organizations will struggle with the deployment of more technologies necessary for business innovation and competing in the economic recovery. Emerging technologies also are presenting organizations serious challenges in managing corporate governance, policy and security. How to justify this investment will be difficult without effective methods to manage and control this technology within a mobile enterprise. As mentioned in previous articles, you fundamentally cannot manage what is not measurable. Organizations will require solutions to manage and control all of these issues, including the expense, in order to derive and measure the return on their investments. As the issues and challenges are numerous, we attempt to discuss as many topics as possible within our blog, but from time to time we provide references to other industry information that support our message. I hope you will find this information of value for planning and managing the business challenges and opportunities of the new year.  Happy reading.

Enterprise Mobility Matters

http://www.enterprisemobilitymatters.com/enterprise_mobility/2009/12/why-expense-management-isnt-just-for-corporate-liable-devices.html

Three Steps for Creating A Mobile Strategy (AT&T)

www.business.att.com/enterprise/resource_item/Family/enterprise-mobility-enterprise/mobile-applications-enterprise/Whitepaper/wp-3stps-013009/

Three Simple Steps To Make The Mobile Enterprise A Reality

http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/tip/1,289483,sid40_gci991530,00.html

Mobile devices have become ubiquitous in today’s workplace, delivering organization and personal productivity improvements with the ability to connect people globally.

Organizations are presented many challenges when managing large deployments of mobile devices. In many cases, mobile deployments are a mix of corporate owned devices and/or employee owned devices whose monthly charges are expensed. From a legal standpoint, these are referred to as “Corporate Liability” and  “Personal Liability” devices.

The question of best practices with respect to security and policy management becomes a very important consideration for organizations that have large device deployments. Some things to consider in support of Corporate Liability devices:

1) COST
Corporate devices enable you to have more visibility and transparency into the overall costs of your organization’s mobile expense. Apart from better management and control over inventory and expenses, you gain advantages into aligning your subscriber’s usage requirement with business requirements as well as negotiating better rate plan options with your provider(s). Costs can be allocated across the organization to allow better control over your corporate communication investment.

2) SECURITY
Corporate devices are owned and controlled by your organization. This gives you the legal means to monitor subscriber usage and control any corporate information that resides on the device. As an example, a Personal Liability device could contain proprietary information such as a customer list and telephone numbers. In the event this employee leaves your organization, not only is the security of this data is compromised, but your clients may still be calling this ex-employees device. A “Corporate Liability” device would have control over the device and its number to avoid this scenario.

3) LIABILITY
“Corporate Liability” devices allow more visibility and control over subscriber usage. Now that you are managing a corporate resource, you can monitor potential mis-use or abuse with full auditing capabilities of all voice and data communications. Corporate policies can be monitored and enforced.

Mobile communications has redefined the workplace with obvious advantages, but the proliferation of mobility devices also poses a daunting challenge to organizations as they cope with managing the complexities of this ever-changing environment. Beyond mobile inventory and expense management, organizations must concern themselves with best practices and policy management required for corporate governance, security, labor and privacy laws.

The ability to manage in this environment can only be accomplished by gaining visibility into the details of your organizations communication usage behavior and performing the necessary analysis to identify key performance metrics. Once identified, these metrics can be used to optimize communication usage across the organization and align your mobility communications investment with business needs. With the ability to effectively manage your mobile subscriber base, you can be confident with the ROI of your mobile communications.

More often than not, organizations enter into rate plan negotiations without a comprehensive understanding of their subscriber demand set.  This typically results in plans that reflect an average usage model, some optimization through pooling of minutes, and some discounts which on the surface sounds like a successful outcome. But, “the Devil is in the details”! Experience shows us that subscribers fit different profiles. For instance, in many cases we find that 20% of the subscribers are responsible for 80% of the usage and that many users are over-provisioned when you examine their actual usage of voice or data services. Gaining visibility into your organizations usage behavior allows you to accurately profile your subscribers. Armed with this information before entering into your negotiations will help you determine the optimum plans for your users and yield significant savings to your organization.

This month we were working with a client and their carrier.  The carrier recommended that a number of users be move to a 1 GB data plan in order to avoid overage fees. It turns out that the average usage profile for this group was only 5 MB per month.  They had a few very large users but no where near the 1 GB mark.  So, we upgraded 2 subscribers to a 500 MB plan and left everyone else where they are.  By knowing the usage of their users, this organization made the right decision and saved thousands of dollars.

Written by John Tyl, Smart Thought Technologies Inc. John can be reached at 905.331.5757 or jtyl@smartthought.ca