Three Ways IT Departments Can Enable Employee Mobile Device Usage

Does your IT department enable employees for multiple device usage?

IT is a vital department in any company’s structure. That’s not only for protection of company and user information, but users remain in desperate need of IT assistance. Yet, a popular view among the corporate rank and file is that IT departments don’t promote productivity, they hold it back. In fact, only 43 percent of non-IT personnel consider IT integral to their business. IT is a “drag on innovation,” they say.

Where is this coming from?

There’s a strong correlation with that sentiment and the recent rise of powerful technology accessible at the consumer level. Users have become more proficient. That IT would prevent them from using the devices they know and love to work more efficiently from more places seems, to many users, helplessly backwards.

You may not realize your department is limiting your company’s employees. You have your plate full with legitimate concerns those employees may not share: data security, disaster recovery, and cost control, among others.

Tips for Enabling Employees

To help you see the situation from their perspective, here are few ways employees may feel IT is limiting them (especially in their use of mobile devices), along with steps you can take to become an IT department that enables employees.

Not Allowing Employees to Use Multiple Devices

Employees often use multiple devices at home. Tablets and smartphones are quickly becoming the preferred online devices for the majority of Americans. Yet desktops and laptops are still useful for heavy data crunching, writing and building presentations.

But managing a wide range of devices can be a headache for the IT department. First there’s understanding every possible operating system — iOS and the increasingly fractured flavors of Android — enough to support them. Then there’s keeping up-to-date on industry standards for each device. And, of course, implementing security features on every device to deal with loss or theft.

The Solution

You don’t have to stretch your IT team any thinner. Outsource mobile device management to a team that has the knowledge, experience, and focus. With that, IT enables employees by keeping up with the latest mobile trends and answering the multi-device demands.

Not Letting Them Use Mobile Devices Internationally

Even medium-sized businesses are expanding into the global marketplace. Employees are heading overseas and across borders more than ever. And when they do, they expect to bring along the devices that help them work so productively back home. But international roaming charges are not cheap. A few video downloads from an employee traveling in Japan can quickly lead to thousands of dollars in overages.

The Solution

There are hundreds of wireless carriers in countries throughout the world. You can’t keep up with all of them, but a managed mobility services provider with international expertise can help you find the best deals with the most appropriate carriers. With the right MMS provider backing you up, you can allow your users to travel with their beloved devices without destroying your budget.

Making Them Wait for Help Desk Support

Every new device your company issues or every new BYOD device it supports ratchets up the demand on your help desk. Which one will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back? Your team already has their hands full troubleshooting software problems, keeping networks running and fixing printers. The last thing they need is a whole new class of devices to work on. And the last thing your users need is unproductive hours waiting for your help desk to get around to their mobile problems.

The Solution

A managed mobility services provider can ease the burden on your internal IT help desk in at least three ways. First, by pre-provisioning devices with everything users need to work productively. Second, by drawing on their specialized knowledge of mobile devices to reduce the amount of time needed to resolve issues. And third, by troubleshooting the entire range of mobile devices, including all the major operating systems.

Stop Losing Out

If you want to transform your IT department from a “necessary evil” to a valued business driver, a managed mobility service provider can help. Learn more about our MMS solution today.

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