The European telecom market is highly fragmented - even the smallest countries host as many as four mobile operators simultaneously. As operators compete for territory, cut-throat price wars saddle many with debt, limiting their ability to upgrade their networks.
As a result, calls for consolidation have grown louder. Larger players, such as Vodafone (UK), Telenor (Norway) and Telefonica (Spain), have urged policymakers to allow European mobile operators to merge and invest more in networks to keep pace with peers in Asia and the US.
Until such consolidations are made, enterprises will need to grapple with various carriers, contracts, and levels of coverage. Doing so successfully is only possible when employees have the tools they need to stay connected, supported and productive at all times. Managed Mobility Services (MMS) provides centralised technology to maximise productivity throughout the company.
The Rise in Mobile Device Usage in Businesses
Digital workers have increased their reliance on portable devices like smartphones, laptops and tablets in recent years. In 2020 alone, workers reported an 11% increase in the proportion of their work time spent on mobile devices. We’ve examined the different contributors that drive this trend.
The Rise of Working from Anywhere
When businesses moved to remote work in early 2020, employees had to rely on mobile devices and digital collaboration tools. The increased reliance on these tools combined with a lack of in-person IT support meant workers had to become proficient users of modern technology (if they weren’t already) to continue with their tasks.
In addition, companies failing to supply the necessary equipment resulted in an increased number of employees needing to find other solutions. According to Gartner, around 55% had to rely on personal devices or programs they discovered themselves to make up for their employer’s technological shortcomings.
The Need for Telecollaboration
With the rise of working-from-home (WFH) came a new reliance on telecollaboration to allow teams to continue with projects virtually. Mobile devices and video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Teams or Google Meet became integral for companies to conduct meetings and other events when in-person gatherings were prohibited.
As companies return to offices and in-person meetings, the need for telecollaboration is likely to continue. According to The Business Research Company, the market size of video conferencing will reach $8.67 billion (roughly £6.9 billion) in 2025, with a CAGR of 9.5%.
Moreover, research from The Harvard Business Review 2020 found that telecollaboration will become key to employee efficiency, with communication tools (74%), remote work tools (74%), and collaboration tools (67%) cited as the most likely crucial prerequisites.
Mobile Devices Reduce Costs
Businesses have also discovered that WFH and mobile device usage enable them to cut costs in many areas. For example, offering mobile working options for employees helps reduce the cost pressures of large physical offices. Utilising mobile devices means you can reduce travel costs; for example, meetings with long-distance clients and teams can be done virtually. Furthermore, enterprises using mobile devices can also save on training and development costs since the majority of workers are already proficient users of them.
Advancements in mobile technology break down barriers to international business operations, giving enterprises new opportunities to expand internationally. However, harnessing these opportunities requires enterprises to prepare their mindsets, technology stacks, office spaces, and IT teams to embrace the new digital workplace.
Global Mobility Challenges Facing Enterprises
While global mobility gives flexibility to expand reach and collaborate effectively from anywhere, it can be challenging to obtain a full-spectrum view of expenses.
One key challenge for international companies is regional variations of mobile contracts mean that spend fluctuates across teams in different regions. Discrepancies in billing are difficult to account for with these variations. For example, a team in Dubai could have the exact same requirements as a team in London with differing mobile contracts, leading to a fragmented cost landscape for businesses.
In addition, data silos result in ineffective device tracking, bottlenecks, and higher hardware costs. Without centralised, accurate and easily accessible data, enterprises will fall blind to key information. Unused devices, overages and roaming costs add up over time when there's no visibility.
The larger your organisation, the more challenging it becomes to effectively monitor and collect relevant data to spend wisely. Ultimately, these obstacles can lead to inaccurate reporting and poor decision-making. The best way to overcome these challenges is to invest in a robust Managed Mobility Services (MMS) solution.
The Importance of Managed Mobile Services
The global managed mobility service market is expected to reach over USD 12 billion (€10 billion) by 2027, with an annual growth rate of 24.27%.
More Confidence
Having a robust Managed Mobility Services solution helps give enterprises confidence in their mobility, meaning they can allow employees to collaborate around the globe. Moreover, unifying mobile activity on a single platform can bring together regionally bucketed costs, increase management function, boost visibility and allow better control of expenses.
Increased Efficiency
MMS facilitates rapid file-sharing through the cloud, enabling workers across the globe to work efficiently and collaboratively. MMS vendors will set up your mobile devices with the necessary software, settings, and apps each employee needs. This means that each mobile device is preconfigured and ready to use immediately, which removes the burden from your IT teams and gets devices to your employees quicker.
More Control
Companies that utilise MMS can bypass mobility obstacles by centralising their mobile technology to get a clearer view of their operations. This way, enterprises can avoid costs from unused mobile phones, services or roaming charges. Accessing the right data allows businesses to understand the true impact of cost and mobility across the organisation and ultimately make better decisions.
Unify Your Fragmented Mobility Estate with Calero
Multinational enterprises looking to conquer the digital business world must take control of their mobility management and spending.
By bringing together your mobile assets on one platform, Calero ensures that your employees stay connected, supported, and productive wherever your business takes them.
Our self-service portal, expense management, inventory and device logistics collectively contribute to unbeatable visibility and power over your cross-border mobile operations.
Request a demo here.
