RIM MVS 5.0 – Are quick returns possible?
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:
- One number reach as all calls are routed (and logged) through the PBX even if the user is on their BlackBerry
- Only one voice mail to check (PBX)
- For some highly mobile workers, one may not need to buy desk sets as the BlackBerry is the corporate phone
- 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:
- Users who use their BlackBerrys to make International calls while in their home country
- Roaming subscribers who work out of a corporate office located in other countries
- 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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Tags: cost control, RIM MVS 5.0