29-Jan-10 Smartphones and their progeny, so-called app phones such as the iPhone and Android, are rapidly becoming standard equipment for today’s workforce, and not just for road warriors and senior executives. Although these pocketable computers may become the new laptop for many employees, without wireless voice and data service, smartphones are nothing more than overpriced MP3 players.
Managing a flood of new devices is trying enough for overtaxed IT departments, but layering on additional telecom services invoices only exacerbates the challenge. Tim Weingarten, chairman and CEO of Visage Mobile (www.visagemobile.com), says IT managers, who increasingly recognize the need to manage and support mobile devices, are wondering “how do I control all of this?”
According to Info-Tech Senior Research Analyst John Stehman, IT must develop a wireless support plan that includes strategies for monitoring and managing wireless devices and services as well as policies for employee usage.