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.

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...

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...

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...

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.

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.