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17 Nov 2009
Some wake-up calls for UK businesses in the form of pandemics and the bombings of 2005 are pushing changes in working practices. A large chunk of the workforce may be forced to log on from an alternate location if it cannot get to work.
Civil servants are even being encouraged to consolidate office space and sell additional property. It is the channel that has the opportunity to shape the mobility landscape in the UK’s businesses.
With budgets strained, a lack of mobility can increase costs. Mobile employees tend to be among the worst offenders when it comes to ‘black budget’ expenses - costs that are almost impossible for the IT department to trace because they are buried in expense claim forms for hourly or daily Wi-Fi subscriptions.
It is not just costs that can spiral when mobility is free for all, but management overheads. An incoherent mobility strategy can cause unnecessarily complex maintenance and management.
Employees may bring in their own mobile devices, which they may simply expect the IT department to support. With each new connection type and device, support and billing costs rise and mobile device security becomes far more complex.
As trusted advisors, channel partners can help customers to avoid significant issues down the line. The onus has often been on the IT or HR department. However, who actually ‘owns’ mobility? Someone has to define a mobile working strategy. It is the CIO’s responsibility to liaise with the HR and IT departments on mobility.
Unlike technology hidden from the end user – such as server and storage infrastructure – the mobility technologies directly influence the end users and their ability to do their jobs away from the workplace.
Channel partners should ensure ease of use and always-on connectivity. Obviously, the key responsibility for resellers is to ensure customers get the best technology for their requirements; however, there is definitely an HR angle to mobile working that must be considered.
In some industry sectors there is a perception that flexible working is a perk, benefiting the individual rather than the organisation. Yet flexible working practices may improve employee productivity, reduce sick leave and absenteeism by four or five days each year per employee, and slash carbon footprints. The UK government has also given parents with children under 16 the right to work from home.
Many resellers and systems integrators talk about helping customers transform their businesses – providing added value rather than just selling them technology. Not only can mobile working increase productivity and therefore profitability, but it also gives employees more freedom – which is potentially more attractive to prospective employees.
The corporate world should be taking the benefits of flexible working and mobility more seriously. The channel should drive this message home.
Azadar Shah is regional director for UK and Ireland at iPass
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