The upcoming Federal Communications Commission (FCC) frequency auction for the coveted 700 MHz spectrum is drawing a lot of attention from incumbent mobile carriers and aspiring entrants into the market. How far incumbent wireless carriers will go to horde the newly available spectrum has yet to be seen, but it’s almost certain to change the mobile landscape in the U.S. and enterprises should be...

With a number of enterprise-class dual mode devices and platforms now available, the business benefits of Fixed-Mobile Convergence (FMC) are finally accessible. Enterprise IT leaders seeking ways to streamline the enterprise communications infrastructure and reduce mobility costs should explore the technology and potential applications today.

With the growing use of mobile computing devices, there comes an increasing need to keep those devices connected to enterprise applications. Mobile Application Gateways (MAGs) maintain connections between the application and the mobile device as that device roams between different network connections and types.

Mobile WiMAX will disrupt the wireless market by providing high-speed, long-distance, non-line-of-sight, mobile network access. With several large and high-profile implementations in progress, combined with lofty subscriber estimates, Mobile WiMAX offers powerful new options that must be considered.

The first generation of Windows XP-based Tablet PCs languished on the shelves after their 2002 introduction. Expensive, proprietary hardware, inadequate application support, and a market that just didn’t fully understand the benefits conspired against this unique form factor and kept it from being widely adopted. Ongoing hardware and software updates, and continued commitment from vendors, has...

Surfing the Internet, accessing e-mail, and utilizing VPN connections while flying the friendly skies could soon become a reality. In-flight broadband services using Wi-Fi and air-to-ground communication facilities are on the horizon. Enterprises should familiarize themselves with the new generation of broadband, non-satellite based services several airlines plan to offer.

Unified Communications (UC) and enterprise mobility are inherently linked technology areas. IT leaders that are building their organization's communications strategy should recognize the cross-opportunity of mobile UC and approach planning accordingly.

As dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi mobile devices become more widely available, they are finding their way into enterprises around the world. There are several potential advantages to augmenting wireless connectivity to carrier networks with Wi-Fi that enterprises should understand and leverage wherever possible.

Telepresence is a set of immersive conferencing technologies and solutions which has the potential to significantly change the way that enterprises approach remote collaboration and business travel. Enterprise IT leaders must understand this technology space and be prepared to address key questions from senior management.

Tablet PCs can deliver compelling benefits to the enterprise, but only if development, deployment, and maintenance processes are adapted specifically to this platform. Failure to do so will result in reduced productivity for mobile end-users and a reduction in acceptance of similarly unconventional mobile form factors in the future. Assess the impact of tablet PC integration on the entire IT...

Support represents a hidden cost to IT and is the low-hanging fruit of cost saving initiatives. Unfortunately, many enterprises are squandering resources on support processes that do not take the unique needs of mobile end-users into account. Tier 1 support for deskbound end-users is very different than that for mobile workers. An enterprise that isn’t taking a mobile-specific approach to...

Many IT professionals may not recall the FCC’s Carterfone Decision, which provided “open-access” to public telephone networks. Almost forty years later, the quest for open-access in cellular networks could provide similar benefits. Enterprises should consider the benefits that open-access could deliver as they develop their wireless business plans.

It has taken substantial amounts of time and money for enterprises to construct and effectively manage their network infrastructures. As wireless continues to penetrate enterprises, concerned executives ask if and how they should integrate wireless mobility technology and what its future impact will be on existing network infrastructures.

Using home-based or virtual call center agents to augment or replace traditional brick-and-mortar call center agents seems like a great idea. Virtual agents can offer many benefits, including increased scheduling flexibility, reduced infrastructure costs, and a greatly expanded pool of potential candidates to choose from, but IP Telephony (IPT) over the public Internet is not up to the task.

There seems to be no end in sight when it comes to the marketing hype surrounding current 3G and the forthcoming 4G cellular networks. In fact, wireless carriers are doing a fine job of masking many of the unresolved problems that can definitely impact the quality and the reliability of services provided to enterprise business users.

Emerging Unified Communications (UC) solutions offer real-time collaboration capabilities and a simplified end-user experience that can help make the enterprise's telework strategy a success. Understand the opportunities associated with telework and UC, but be wary of the challenges.

Globetrotting executives, engineers, and sales and service personnel are ringing up massive mobile bills, and IT managers are often tasked with getting these costs under control. While there is no single silver bullet solution to reduce global roaming costs, there are several strategies that can be applied to different types of users and that can be combined to significantly lower skyrocketing...

Enterprises are increasingly adopting mobility to keep remote and traveling users connected and productive. However, this trend towards mobility comes at a cost, and most enterprises have seen the total cost of mobile services rise, even as per capita cost of services is in decline. Employ the three methods discussed in this research note to keep the cost of mobile services in check.

Choosing a platform to mobilize the enterprise messaging infrastructure is a far more involved process than simply picking the coolest looking handheld and handing it out to staff. Understand the bottom line benefits and target the specific needs before beginning to study how a mobile messaging solution will impact existing infrastructure. And don’t be afraid to kill the project if the advantages...

Without fail, uncertain economic times bring IT budgets under closer scrutiny and this often results in communications services being identified as a cost cutting target. IT leaders must determine whether investing in a new on-premise phone system is really the most appropriate technology path for the enterprise. Shifting to a new approach to communications services may deliver significant cost...

Network availability is a key measure of network quality and enterprises have invested considerable time and money to provide availability levels that approach "three nines" (99.9%) or 8.76 hours of downtime per year. Conversely, wireless operator capabilities lag far behind and enterprises must consider this point when wireless-enabling business applications.

There will be significant growth in wireless services in 2009 and beyond as enterprises embrace wireless LANs and increase their uptake of cellular services. As a result, the future roles and responsibilities of network support groups must be examined to verify if or how they can provide the requisite support enterprise users will require.

The growth of wireless devices, voice and data services, and mobile applications is straining the internal capabilities of enterprises that embrace mobility. The answer for many enterprises is to outsource wireless telecom management to experienced Telecom Expense Management (TEM) Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) vendors. Make sure to shortlist the TEM BPO vendors that best meet the...

There are a number of competitive wireless service providers in the US market. The leading carriers offer similar nationwide wireless voice and data services. Although the competing providers trail the leaders in terms of network coverage, many deliver an equally competitive product and service offering in most metropolitan US geographies. Choose the provider that best meets the wireless...

Countless companies are facing mounting mobile connectivity costs as executives, sales professionals, and engineers travel around this rapidly shrinking globe. Make sense of the available mobile connectivity options and reduce costs before they get out of control.