Mobile Device Management: Smartphones

While corporate mobile device management once equated to managing cell phones, it now includes an assortment of devices including tablet computers, data devices, and smartphones. Most people are familiar with a tablet computer like the Apple iPad. However, they may not easily be able to distinguish this type of phone from a regular mobile phone. Understanding what this device is and how it works enables companies to determine whether they would be valuable additions to a mobile fleet.

Smartphone Basics

A smartphone is a type of mobile phone, so while not all cell phones are smartphones, all smartphones are cell phones. They have the distinguishing feature of a mobile computing platform. These mobile phones have more advanced connectivity and computing ability than what is commonly referred to as a feature phone. Users are able to make telephone calls but they can also perform activities offered by a computer or personal digital assistant, commonly called a PDA.

They generally have several common features, the first of which is an operating system that permits the use of productivity platforms such as Windows Mobile or BlackBerry OS. It has more software than the basic digital address book included on a feature phone. Users may be able to create and edit documents and presentations or manage their finances. Smartphones also have access to the Internet so users can browse websites.

While a typical cell phone has a numeric keypad, smartphones have a virtual or physical QWERTY keyboard similar to a computer keyboard. Cell phones have the ability to transmit and receive text messages but smartphones can also send and receive email messages, with some supporting multiple email accounts. Some will also offer access to Internet messaging services like Yahoo! Messenger and AIM for AOL.

Business Use of Smartphones Makes Mobile Device Management Necessary

Thinking of a smartphone as a PDA, computer, and cell phone combined reveals just how much this small device can do. For businesses, phones such as this can be invaluable because they allow workers to be more available and productive. Salespeople can use them to find their way to appointments with GPS service, access customer information through a connection to a customer relationship management system, and conduct research on the fly for prospects and customers.

Workers also use them to maintain their work schedules and record relevant details in linked apps. Updating social media accounts is made less cumbersome when workers do it while on the go. The embarrassment of being unable to answer unexpected questions from prospects or customers during a presentation is quickly eliminated by using a smartphone to quickly look up the answer online or get it from the office.

Many businesses have realized that distributing smartphones to workers makes financial sense. Once they add these to their list of mobile devices, they should monitor use to make sure that workers are getting the most from the service plan and that the plan is compatible with usage patterns. Keeping tabs on usage allows businesses to alter service plans to accommodate changes in use.