Wireless voice communication is increasingly the lifeblood of enterprise, government and industrial workflow. But as mobile phones, smartphones and voice-enabled PDAs become more and more like full-fledged computing platforms (e.g., mobile Linux, Java, Symbian, Windows), they are exposed to vulnerabilities that were previously associated only with wired IT systems, such as eavesdropping on calls and data sessions (mobile intercept), user masquerading, theft of service, theft of personal data, session spoofing, device cloning, backdoors and mobile identity theft.
Like any IT resource, smartphones, mobile phones and PDAs are potentially vulnerable to viruses, worms, Trojans and spyware. Malware threats that were once targeted at LAN-based desktop and data center computers are now attacking mobile devices and mobile service provider networks. Mobile malware has been found to be very effective at attacking mobile voice and data sessions through open protocols and services.
With conventional security software, encryption routines running on mobile platforms are largely defenseless and vulnerable to a large number of hacker exploits and viral threats at the application, operating system and network levels. In the current era of escalating cyber threats, mobile platforms need a better approach to network encryption and authentication. This new approach must shield device-based security software from the vulnerabilities of open platforms and networks, so that wireless mobile CDMA and GSM voice traffic can be fully protected, end to end.
Sunday, 13 December 2009
Sunday, 6 December 2009
UK Business Priorities and Technology
The way people communicate in the Corporate marketplace has changed, change has been around for a long time but the elements that are driving the current wave of change in communications are new and more powerful than anything that we have seen before.
This is occurring because new technologies such as mobile applications and the mobile internet channel have now reached a critical mass.
The choice you now have is how do you deliver an integrated communication system that links different individuals together effectively across a wide range of options such as mobiles, desktops, laptops and the web.
To complicate this, the economic environment has brought about increased focus on cost management leaving organisations with fewer resources to innovate, or at least to do more with the same.
Recent research has found that UK business priorities are identified through four main topics; improving productivity and efficiency; retaining and attracting customers; cutting costs and generating more revenue.
Is this a shock to any one out there, NO I did not think so.
However what it does do is highlight the importance of equiping people with the right tools to help them do their jobs more effectively and efficiently to ensure they achieve these goals, vitally important as we start to prepare for the future economic upturn.
Organisations should be looking at the way new technology can drive granular and incremental, as well as wholesale business improvement amongst its people and processes.
Large bespoke technology projects are not the only way to deliver these benefits, simple or small changes can also deliver huge benefits to your organisation such as saving time and money by improving productivity and encouraging communication and collaboration across departments and locations or by providing employees critical up to the date information wherever they need to work through simple solutions delivered to end users securely, cheaply and quickly in just a few “clicks”.
mBusiness Consulting have listened to their customers and identified solutions to meet this demand which reduces IT complexity and costs but delivers all of the benefits.
This is occurring because new technologies such as mobile applications and the mobile internet channel have now reached a critical mass.
The choice you now have is how do you deliver an integrated communication system that links different individuals together effectively across a wide range of options such as mobiles, desktops, laptops and the web.
To complicate this, the economic environment has brought about increased focus on cost management leaving organisations with fewer resources to innovate, or at least to do more with the same.
Recent research has found that UK business priorities are identified through four main topics; improving productivity and efficiency; retaining and attracting customers; cutting costs and generating more revenue.
Is this a shock to any one out there, NO I did not think so.
However what it does do is highlight the importance of equiping people with the right tools to help them do their jobs more effectively and efficiently to ensure they achieve these goals, vitally important as we start to prepare for the future economic upturn.
Organisations should be looking at the way new technology can drive granular and incremental, as well as wholesale business improvement amongst its people and processes.
Large bespoke technology projects are not the only way to deliver these benefits, simple or small changes can also deliver huge benefits to your organisation such as saving time and money by improving productivity and encouraging communication and collaboration across departments and locations or by providing employees critical up to the date information wherever they need to work through simple solutions delivered to end users securely, cheaply and quickly in just a few “clicks”.
mBusiness Consulting have listened to their customers and identified solutions to meet this demand which reduces IT complexity and costs but delivers all of the benefits.
Sunday, 4 October 2009
Technology to deliver Business Continuity - R U Covered?
The ongoing threat of a swine flu pandemic has prompted organisations to assess how they would cope in a worst-case scenario, where staff absenteeism could reach 40 per cent.
Business continuity planning needs to be as fluid as business itself and regularly rehearsed. Although bigger organisations have had plans in place for many years, complacency can still set in and these plans may not have been tested to comply with the increasingly complex and technology-driven business demands of the current environment. The earliest plans for certain large corporations were often paper-based. The BCP would have taken the form of a physical document and reflected the business practices of the time. The big shift recently has been faster and more available methods of communication.
These shifts have lead to the real possibility of organisations becoming almost "virtual" as and when required – such as when a highly contagious and severe disease such as swine flu appears on the horizon.
The threat of pandemic disease is a relatively new consideration for UK-based businesses and joins the threat of terror attack and natural disaster as aspects to consider when updating or implementing a plan for the first time. With such risks to business it is frustrating that such a large number of businesses bury their heads in the sand and continue to ignore these very real threats. Disease pandemic also offers a different set of criteria to that of terror and natural disaster with the threat moving from generally physical and relatively local in nature to being invisible and not limited geographically.
However, as the type of threat has changed, so has the working environment. Five years ago the majority of an organisation's workforce needed to be in the office to be productive; however modern communications have opened up the work-space. Home working can be set up quickly and efficiently to offer more flexible working to employees and the possibility for key staff to quickly restore/maintain work practices if the needs arises. Laptops have become much cheaper and their portability means that one piece of equipment can be carried around by an employee and used wherever required.
Coupled with a mobile phone and with broadband costs tumbling, the cost of setting up employees to relocate at short notice, or in the case of a disease pandemic, work from home is reasonable. Even if the current swine flu pandemic doesn't prove to be as severe as predicted, it should serve as a wake-up call to organisations to make sure that they are fully utilising modern and cheaper communication methods to keep their businesses running in times of crisis. It would be fool-hardy to believe that another pandemic will not surface at some stage and there is no reason to be complacent.
There are two main obstacles at board-level that are often cited as blocking the implementation of a modern business continuity plan. The first is cost; but it is actually fairly cost-effective to design and implement a BCP due to the proliferation of competitively-priced methods of communication now available coupled with more efficient working practices. It must also be noted that many aspects of BCPs can be used in everyday working practices to improve efficiency and well-being of staff, such as the home-office concept.
The second main stumbling-block is a concentration on terrorist attack and natural disaster as the only type of threats to an organisation's well-being, rather than continual threats such as human pandemic disease, which according to the latest report by the Chartered Management Institute and backed by the Cabinet Office, is one of the greatest concerns facing organisations. It is understandable that threat of terrorist attack has dominated business thinking since 9/11, but other threats must not be discounted or ignored. It is the job of an all-encompassing plan to ensure that all eventualities are covered.
The author of the plan must consider the aspects of the business that are fundamental and crucial to its ongoing viability and concentrate on putting measures in place to protect them. The cost of implementing the BCP against the value of employees' well-being should be all the ammunition you need to take to the board – after all without employees how can you successfully run a business? Primarily the author must identify the key people without whom the business could not function and make sure that they are set up to work away from the workplace, or should they fall sick with swine flu that there is adequate cover. The contact details of all crucial stakeholders must be included; key staff, suppliers and customers and modern contact management software should ensure that it is easy to keep all details up-to-date.
The next step is to include a business continuity "How-to" document giving step by step instructions on what to do and how to do it for all core processes. That way, if a member of staff does leave suddenly due to swine flu, or is otherwise unable to attend work at short notice, another member of staff should be able to take over their duties and carry them out competently ensuring continuity in your business. As a final step, ensure you have backed up all core documents and that they are stored and accessible off-site
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
Business continuity planning needs to be as fluid as business itself and regularly rehearsed. Although bigger organisations have had plans in place for many years, complacency can still set in and these plans may not have been tested to comply with the increasingly complex and technology-driven business demands of the current environment. The earliest plans for certain large corporations were often paper-based. The BCP would have taken the form of a physical document and reflected the business practices of the time. The big shift recently has been faster and more available methods of communication.
These shifts have lead to the real possibility of organisations becoming almost "virtual" as and when required – such as when a highly contagious and severe disease such as swine flu appears on the horizon.
The threat of pandemic disease is a relatively new consideration for UK-based businesses and joins the threat of terror attack and natural disaster as aspects to consider when updating or implementing a plan for the first time. With such risks to business it is frustrating that such a large number of businesses bury their heads in the sand and continue to ignore these very real threats. Disease pandemic also offers a different set of criteria to that of terror and natural disaster with the threat moving from generally physical and relatively local in nature to being invisible and not limited geographically.
However, as the type of threat has changed, so has the working environment. Five years ago the majority of an organisation's workforce needed to be in the office to be productive; however modern communications have opened up the work-space. Home working can be set up quickly and efficiently to offer more flexible working to employees and the possibility for key staff to quickly restore/maintain work practices if the needs arises. Laptops have become much cheaper and their portability means that one piece of equipment can be carried around by an employee and used wherever required.
Coupled with a mobile phone and with broadband costs tumbling, the cost of setting up employees to relocate at short notice, or in the case of a disease pandemic, work from home is reasonable. Even if the current swine flu pandemic doesn't prove to be as severe as predicted, it should serve as a wake-up call to organisations to make sure that they are fully utilising modern and cheaper communication methods to keep their businesses running in times of crisis. It would be fool-hardy to believe that another pandemic will not surface at some stage and there is no reason to be complacent.
There are two main obstacles at board-level that are often cited as blocking the implementation of a modern business continuity plan. The first is cost; but it is actually fairly cost-effective to design and implement a BCP due to the proliferation of competitively-priced methods of communication now available coupled with more efficient working practices. It must also be noted that many aspects of BCPs can be used in everyday working practices to improve efficiency and well-being of staff, such as the home-office concept.
The second main stumbling-block is a concentration on terrorist attack and natural disaster as the only type of threats to an organisation's well-being, rather than continual threats such as human pandemic disease, which according to the latest report by the Chartered Management Institute and backed by the Cabinet Office, is one of the greatest concerns facing organisations. It is understandable that threat of terrorist attack has dominated business thinking since 9/11, but other threats must not be discounted or ignored. It is the job of an all-encompassing plan to ensure that all eventualities are covered.
The author of the plan must consider the aspects of the business that are fundamental and crucial to its ongoing viability and concentrate on putting measures in place to protect them. The cost of implementing the BCP against the value of employees' well-being should be all the ammunition you need to take to the board – after all without employees how can you successfully run a business? Primarily the author must identify the key people without whom the business could not function and make sure that they are set up to work away from the workplace, or should they fall sick with swine flu that there is adequate cover. The contact details of all crucial stakeholders must be included; key staff, suppliers and customers and modern contact management software should ensure that it is easy to keep all details up-to-date.
The next step is to include a business continuity "How-to" document giving step by step instructions on what to do and how to do it for all core processes. That way, if a member of staff does leave suddenly due to swine flu, or is otherwise unable to attend work at short notice, another member of staff should be able to take over their duties and carry them out competently ensuring continuity in your business. As a final step, ensure you have backed up all core documents and that they are stored and accessible off-site
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Lone Worker Protection - Are you doing enough?
The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 introduced a new offence of corporate manslaughter which applies to corporate bodies in both the public and private sectors. It only applies in circumstances where an organisation owed a duty of care to the victim under the law of negligence. The offence can be punishable by an unlimited fine and orders for remedial action.
This law makes it easier for an organisation to be found guilty of manslaughter through the result of gross failings of senior management. The definition of ‘senior management' is not limited to the board of directors and includes those who have a significant role in the management of the whole or part of an organisation.
The HSWA imposes a duty on employers to "ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety and welfare at work of all its employees" and to ensure that persons not in their employment are "not exposed to risks to their health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable".
In addition, there are hundreds of health and safety regulations which set out more specific health and safety duties. For example, under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must carry out a 'suitable and sufficient' risk assessment of their activities. As a result of this new law, duty of care and traceability must become a priority to senior managers in any organisation both in the public and private sector.
Risk assessment - Risk assessment has become a key process in the protection of the mobile workforce. A risk assessment is an important step in protecting the workforce as well as complying with the law. A risk assessment is a careful examination of what could cause harm whilst undertaking job functions. This allows the decision to be made as to whether or not enough precautions are being taken or whether more should be taken. Workers and others have a right to be protected from harm caused by a failure to take reasonable control measures.
A correctly deployed enterprise mobility solution will provide any mobile workforce with an effective tool to undertake risk assessments at key stages of their daily duties whilst out of the office. Not only this, the enterprise mobility solution will provide a traceable record for each risk assessment undertaken for that all important proof of compliance.
The Corporate Manslaughter Act has increased the need for health based services to provide duty of care on their employees whether mobile or otherwise and makes it easier for local authorities in breach to be prosecuted.
Proof of compliance will ultimately become a necessity and it will be up to senior managers to prove duty of care policies and procedures are working and are being used by their employees. Paper systems are problematic as mistakes can be made and paper proof can easily be lost. use of enterprise mobility solutions in providing duty of care compliance and lone worker protection will therefore become more prevalent over the next 18 months.
If you have already deployed an enterprise mobility solution or if you are planning to do so, ensure that you build in duty of care into your mobility workflows. For further advice relating to how Mobilitiy Solutions can support your business please contact mBusiness Consulting.
This law makes it easier for an organisation to be found guilty of manslaughter through the result of gross failings of senior management. The definition of ‘senior management' is not limited to the board of directors and includes those who have a significant role in the management of the whole or part of an organisation.
The HSWA imposes a duty on employers to "ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety and welfare at work of all its employees" and to ensure that persons not in their employment are "not exposed to risks to their health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable".
In addition, there are hundreds of health and safety regulations which set out more specific health and safety duties. For example, under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must carry out a 'suitable and sufficient' risk assessment of their activities. As a result of this new law, duty of care and traceability must become a priority to senior managers in any organisation both in the public and private sector.
Risk assessment - Risk assessment has become a key process in the protection of the mobile workforce. A risk assessment is an important step in protecting the workforce as well as complying with the law. A risk assessment is a careful examination of what could cause harm whilst undertaking job functions. This allows the decision to be made as to whether or not enough precautions are being taken or whether more should be taken. Workers and others have a right to be protected from harm caused by a failure to take reasonable control measures.
A correctly deployed enterprise mobility solution will provide any mobile workforce with an effective tool to undertake risk assessments at key stages of their daily duties whilst out of the office. Not only this, the enterprise mobility solution will provide a traceable record for each risk assessment undertaken for that all important proof of compliance.
The Corporate Manslaughter Act has increased the need for health based services to provide duty of care on their employees whether mobile or otherwise and makes it easier for local authorities in breach to be prosecuted.
Proof of compliance will ultimately become a necessity and it will be up to senior managers to prove duty of care policies and procedures are working and are being used by their employees. Paper systems are problematic as mistakes can be made and paper proof can easily be lost. use of enterprise mobility solutions in providing duty of care compliance and lone worker protection will therefore become more prevalent over the next 18 months.
If you have already deployed an enterprise mobility solution or if you are planning to do so, ensure that you build in duty of care into your mobility workflows. For further advice relating to how Mobilitiy Solutions can support your business please contact mBusiness Consulting.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Business - Mobile Working allowing business to break out
Extending the perimeter of the organisation through mobilisation, is a key requirement for many companies to stay competitive and mobile computing will inevitably be one of the top technological issues affecting your business. Studies completed by Computer Weekly indicates that remote working is able to reduce the financial impact for those companies that have enabled it, but very few small and medium businesses have the budget or technical ability to implement and manage secure virtual private networks (VPNs) with sophisticated network access control.
Remote working - how risky is it and what can small businesses do to enable it securely?
For many organisations, employees not being able to get into the workplace due to unforseen circumstances such as heavy snow, sick children or other such incidents is often translated into a business day of inactivity. Without the technology to pick up e-mail, access information, or even change face to face meetings into conference calls, many organisations will grind to a halt.
So what stops an organisation joining the 21st century? Invariably cost and lack of knowledge. To enable remote working the first step is always recognising the need. Extending the perimeter for an organisation is a bold step, and one which needs to be considered carefully. Employees may well demand the ability to pick up e-mail from anywhere, but such a move must be based on careful evaluation between risks and benefits, not solely demand.
However, a move like this is not a binary decision. There are varying degrees of remote working, ranging from webmail, to access to all files, and everything else in-between. Technology requirements will of course be dependent on the level of access required. Although the cost may be lower than initially thought. For example, many SOHO (Small Office, Home Office) firewalls have remote connectivity features enabled either by default or via licence activation. Equally, web mail is also available as a default feature in many popular mail systems.
Of course, just because it is there does not mean a tick in the box is all that is needed. Extending the perimeter does have its risks, and appropriate security controls must be applied to mitigate/reduce these risks. These decisions involve authentication considerations, access times, locking down endpoints, etc. This may be seen as a step too far for many small businesses, mBusiness Consulting can provide the necessary expertise to help plug the gap.
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
Remote working - how risky is it and what can small businesses do to enable it securely?
For many organisations, employees not being able to get into the workplace due to unforseen circumstances such as heavy snow, sick children or other such incidents is often translated into a business day of inactivity. Without the technology to pick up e-mail, access information, or even change face to face meetings into conference calls, many organisations will grind to a halt.
So what stops an organisation joining the 21st century? Invariably cost and lack of knowledge. To enable remote working the first step is always recognising the need. Extending the perimeter for an organisation is a bold step, and one which needs to be considered carefully. Employees may well demand the ability to pick up e-mail from anywhere, but such a move must be based on careful evaluation between risks and benefits, not solely demand.
However, a move like this is not a binary decision. There are varying degrees of remote working, ranging from webmail, to access to all files, and everything else in-between. Technology requirements will of course be dependent on the level of access required. Although the cost may be lower than initially thought. For example, many SOHO (Small Office, Home Office) firewalls have remote connectivity features enabled either by default or via licence activation. Equally, web mail is also available as a default feature in many popular mail systems.
Of course, just because it is there does not mean a tick in the box is all that is needed. Extending the perimeter does have its risks, and appropriate security controls must be applied to mitigate/reduce these risks. These decisions involve authentication considerations, access times, locking down endpoints, etc. This may be seen as a step too far for many small businesses, mBusiness Consulting can provide the necessary expertise to help plug the gap.
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
Monday, 7 September 2009
Remote Working - How to Make it Work
Remote working can be a scary experience for both employers and employees. For employees it has the potential to be a lonely existence with little contact from real people on a face 2 face level. Managers struggle to understand how to manage a remote and geographically dispersed team. However with the correct technology, the right skills and attitude it is a fantastic way to deliver the business objectives whilst at the same time creating a flexible organisation, which also delivers against the green revolution, improves employee satisfaction and reduces reliance on expensive new office space and overbearing IT infrastructure.
A very large number of organsiations now use remote working ranging from large corporate account management & Project management teams, lone contractors, helpdesks and many others to numerous to mention. There are many strong business reasons for seriously considering remote working as a viable option including reorganisation, reducing office space, putting staff nearer to their customers and of course to create a disaster recovery plan in the event of a flu pandemic.
On top of ensuring that you have the best technology to deliver a remote working policy it is as important to ensure that you develop a structured approach to managing communications. Margaret Burnside, Director at the centre for People Development has suggested some simple guiding principles for successful remote working.
Remote Working Checklist
A very large number of organsiations now use remote working ranging from large corporate account management & Project management teams, lone contractors, helpdesks and many others to numerous to mention. There are many strong business reasons for seriously considering remote working as a viable option including reorganisation, reducing office space, putting staff nearer to their customers and of course to create a disaster recovery plan in the event of a flu pandemic.
On top of ensuring that you have the best technology to deliver a remote working policy it is as important to ensure that you develop a structured approach to managing communications. Margaret Burnside, Director at the centre for People Development has suggested some simple guiding principles for successful remote working.
Remote Working Checklist
- Hold an initial face-to-face start up meeting
- Have periodic face2face meetings
- Establish a code of conduct or set of norms - and as the leader ensure they are adhered to
- Chair conference calls carefully, allowing time to discuss audio quality and any problems with it
- Use the reply all function appropriately on emails so that other team members can follow the whole conversation
- Ensure all team members schedules are visible - ensure the tools exist to show when people are on holiday, at conferences etc
- Creat a "water cooler" equivalent on a shared access site for social chit chat on non work topics - encourage this - send the message that social chat is ok just as it is in the office
- Don't just visit the remote sites when there is a problem
- Watch out for little thingd that can leave people feeling isolated - avoid "out of sight out of mind" syndrome
- Review how well the team is working - use a conference call or face2face meeting solely to discuss team effectiveness encourage feedback on your leadership
Sunday, 6 September 2009
5 Points to consider when deploying Converged voice and Data services
A recent report, CIO Guide to Fixed Mobile Convergance, outlines the importance of organisations understanding of what benefits can be gained for your business by bringing together your mobile and fixed line communications. This understanding is a pre-requisite to ensure that you choose the right platform. It should be "future proofed", secure, build on your existing infrastructure, enhance your workforces capabilities and provide a measurable cost benefit. It is only by prioritizing these reasons can you ensure that the solution you select is the correct one for your business. The top 5 points to consider are:-
1. Productivity
Increasing productivity is one of the most important drivers for implementing converged solution. With on-the-spot access to your organization’s fixed systems, mobile professionals can make more informed decisions. Having a single phone number that customers and colleagues can use to reach your employees no matter where they are means they are never out of touch. Workers can collaborate more quickly by accessing familiar desktop phone features like call transfer and extension dialing right from the mobile device. If a call is missed, having a single voice mail box means workers spend less time managing multiple messaging systems.
2. Security
Wireless solution security helps to address the need to transmit voice and data in a highly secure manner through encryption, authentication, authorization, access control and firewall protection down to the wireless device level. As wireless solutions continue to build momentum and the subsequent number of wireless devices grows, the demand to manage and secure these solutions increases.
Converged solutions are designed to extend the security and control of your fixed voice network to mobile devices. With highly secure access, your organization can minimize the likelihood that it could be the target of mobile malware attacks, conference call snooping and other unauthorized access. Validation of a user’s voice network credentials over an encrypted data channel between the mobile device and the organization’s servers is leading edge technology and provides a highly secure solution.
3. Future Proofing
Most organizations have made significant investments in voice technologies, but voice communication is always changing and improving. Plotting a path to take advantage of innovation can help your organization maintain control while increasing employee freedom.
Converged Solutions allow your organization to leverage existing infrastructure by integrating mobile devices with fixed PBX-based desk phone functionality. Solutions that support multiple and mixed network technologies (IP/TDM) allow you to extend the life of your existing telecom capital investments while leaving the door open to new ones. Whether you are adding to your voice network or migrating to a new one, the right Converged solution should provide a simple upgrade path that helps keep costs in check.
4. Competitive Advantage
Enabling your mobile workforce to use their mobile device as a highly secure mobile desk phone allows them to answer customer queries faster, to beat competition and to help your organization grow in a global economy. Converged Solutions allows your organization to maintain ownership and control of its telephone numbers, making them a managed asset that customers and vendors are familiar with and that never leaves even when employees do. How frequent is this example, a customer knows a sales representative’s personal mobile phone number and that sales person moves to a competitor, the customer’s loyalty stays with the sales person resulting in the customer following the the sales person rather than staying with your organization.
5. Cost
A Converged Solution opens the door to a variety of cost-control opportunities. In some cases, calls placed from mobile phones to long-distance and international endpoints can be costly. The ability to extend class-of-service control to your organization’s mobile devices allows you to permit and restrict access to services like international and long-distance calling or pay-per-use (i.e., information) services. With Converged Solutions, you can further reduce costs by implementing policies that route mobile calls through your PBX and across the lowest-cost negotiated rate fixed-line networks. Directing mobile calls through your PBX also allows you to audit mobile usage through advanced reporting features which help to reduce time and cost associated with business use billing. These reports can help you better understand current usage patterns, allowing you to plan strategically for future mobile workforce expansion.
Equipping staff with the right tools can enhance productivity, motivation and staff retention. Highly secure mobile email and data applications help mobile workers stay in touch and up-to-date with a wide range of business issues. Extending that streamlined anytime, anywhere access to mobile voice applications is the next frontier in worker empowerment.
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
1. Productivity
Increasing productivity is one of the most important drivers for implementing converged solution. With on-the-spot access to your organization’s fixed systems, mobile professionals can make more informed decisions. Having a single phone number that customers and colleagues can use to reach your employees no matter where they are means they are never out of touch. Workers can collaborate more quickly by accessing familiar desktop phone features like call transfer and extension dialing right from the mobile device. If a call is missed, having a single voice mail box means workers spend less time managing multiple messaging systems.
2. Security
Wireless solution security helps to address the need to transmit voice and data in a highly secure manner through encryption, authentication, authorization, access control and firewall protection down to the wireless device level. As wireless solutions continue to build momentum and the subsequent number of wireless devices grows, the demand to manage and secure these solutions increases.
Converged solutions are designed to extend the security and control of your fixed voice network to mobile devices. With highly secure access, your organization can minimize the likelihood that it could be the target of mobile malware attacks, conference call snooping and other unauthorized access. Validation of a user’s voice network credentials over an encrypted data channel between the mobile device and the organization’s servers is leading edge technology and provides a highly secure solution.
3. Future Proofing
Most organizations have made significant investments in voice technologies, but voice communication is always changing and improving. Plotting a path to take advantage of innovation can help your organization maintain control while increasing employee freedom.
Converged Solutions allow your organization to leverage existing infrastructure by integrating mobile devices with fixed PBX-based desk phone functionality. Solutions that support multiple and mixed network technologies (IP/TDM) allow you to extend the life of your existing telecom capital investments while leaving the door open to new ones. Whether you are adding to your voice network or migrating to a new one, the right Converged solution should provide a simple upgrade path that helps keep costs in check.
4. Competitive Advantage
Enabling your mobile workforce to use their mobile device as a highly secure mobile desk phone allows them to answer customer queries faster, to beat competition and to help your organization grow in a global economy. Converged Solutions allows your organization to maintain ownership and control of its telephone numbers, making them a managed asset that customers and vendors are familiar with and that never leaves even when employees do. How frequent is this example, a customer knows a sales representative’s personal mobile phone number and that sales person moves to a competitor, the customer’s loyalty stays with the sales person resulting in the customer following the the sales person rather than staying with your organization.
5. Cost
A Converged Solution opens the door to a variety of cost-control opportunities. In some cases, calls placed from mobile phones to long-distance and international endpoints can be costly. The ability to extend class-of-service control to your organization’s mobile devices allows you to permit and restrict access to services like international and long-distance calling or pay-per-use (i.e., information) services. With Converged Solutions, you can further reduce costs by implementing policies that route mobile calls through your PBX and across the lowest-cost negotiated rate fixed-line networks. Directing mobile calls through your PBX also allows you to audit mobile usage through advanced reporting features which help to reduce time and cost associated with business use billing. These reports can help you better understand current usage patterns, allowing you to plan strategically for future mobile workforce expansion.
Equipping staff with the right tools can enhance productivity, motivation and staff retention. Highly secure mobile email and data applications help mobile workers stay in touch and up-to-date with a wide range of business issues. Extending that streamlined anytime, anywhere access to mobile voice applications is the next frontier in worker empowerment.
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Communications for a Mobile Workforce
Mobile working has transformed the business world, stimulating innovation, improving productivity and creating new opportunities. Industry analyst estimates suggest the mobile workforce could exceed 800 million in 2009. These workers can spend as much as 40% of their time away from their desk, complicating their communication needs and draining productivity. As businesses look to do more and encourage the best from their workforce, flexible, on-demand access to information has become a requirement. (http://zones.computerworld.com/rim2/downloads/RIM_CIO_Brochure_wp.pdf)
Equipping staff with the right tools can enhance productivity, motivation and staff retention. Highly secure mobile email and data applications help mobile workers stay in touch and up-to-date with a wide range of business issues. Extending that streamlined anytime, anywhere access to mobile voice applications is the next frontier in worker empowerment. Organizations seeking solutions that provide high-performance access while addressing security needs can leverage fixed mobile convergence (FMC) systems to enhance communication.
Mobile workers typically juggle multiple phone numbers, devices and voice mail systems which leave them cut off from familiar workplace functionality like extension dialing, directory searches and call transfers.
Managing these devices and messaging systems requires additional time that workers could use for other tasks. Clients and colleagues often must dial multiple phone numbers to reach mobile workers which creates communication delays. A robust wireless solution should unite a user’s identity, different devices and network technologies to give mobile workers the ability to communicate to and from multiple locations while appearing to be at a single location. Unified Communications for voice should merge the capabilities of the desk and mobile phones to make your organization’s voice capabilities just as mobile as email and data, so mobile workers can be reached at a single phone number, manage a single voice mail box, access advanced desk phone features and transition calls to and from the desk phone no matter where they are.
Understanding why bringing together your mobile and fixed-line communication systems can benefit your
organization is an important part of choosing the right platform. The solution you select should fit seamlessly
into, and help secure, your existing voice network, be scalable for future growth and technologies, have a
recognizable cost benefit and enhance your workforce’s capabilities beyond solutions you may have already
implemented. Identifying and prioritizing these reasons can help drive you to a solution that best fits your
organization’s needs.
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
Equipping staff with the right tools can enhance productivity, motivation and staff retention. Highly secure mobile email and data applications help mobile workers stay in touch and up-to-date with a wide range of business issues. Extending that streamlined anytime, anywhere access to mobile voice applications is the next frontier in worker empowerment. Organizations seeking solutions that provide high-performance access while addressing security needs can leverage fixed mobile convergence (FMC) systems to enhance communication.
Mobile workers typically juggle multiple phone numbers, devices and voice mail systems which leave them cut off from familiar workplace functionality like extension dialing, directory searches and call transfers.
Managing these devices and messaging systems requires additional time that workers could use for other tasks. Clients and colleagues often must dial multiple phone numbers to reach mobile workers which creates communication delays. A robust wireless solution should unite a user’s identity, different devices and network technologies to give mobile workers the ability to communicate to and from multiple locations while appearing to be at a single location. Unified Communications for voice should merge the capabilities of the desk and mobile phones to make your organization’s voice capabilities just as mobile as email and data, so mobile workers can be reached at a single phone number, manage a single voice mail box, access advanced desk phone features and transition calls to and from the desk phone no matter where they are.
Understanding why bringing together your mobile and fixed-line communication systems can benefit your
organization is an important part of choosing the right platform. The solution you select should fit seamlessly
into, and help secure, your existing voice network, be scalable for future growth and technologies, have a
recognizable cost benefit and enhance your workforce’s capabilities beyond solutions you may have already
implemented. Identifying and prioritizing these reasons can help drive you to a solution that best fits your
organization’s needs.
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
SMS - Are you getting the most ??
I have continually discussed with customers that SMS is not yet dead and can be a major contributing technology in driving improved customer experiences. The following report by Boomcomms supports the situation that businesses are not utilising the humble SMS to its full potential.
Two-Way SMS Herald New Business Opportunity say Boomcomms
Peter Tanner, Managing Director of Boomcomms, believes the potential of the humble text message has been largely lost on the business world – until now.
“As the frenzy over Twitter continues, the realisation of just what can be achieved in a targeted 160-character message is beginning to dawn on businesses. A number of transactions can be completed using a BlackBerry or email; however this requires a big investment, rendering the opportunity impractical for a majority.
An increasing number of companies are now using one-way SMS to confirm appointments or delivery times. But the critical challenge they all face is how to enable the recipient to respond in a way that closes the loop and completes an automated database transaction.
By simply adding a unique two-way SMS facility onto an existing business process, the automated workflow is successfully extended, boosting the customer/employee experience, without increasing costs. With two-way SMS the business possibilities are endless; authorisations and job status updates can be verified and confirmed in an instant, automatically triggering the next action in the database.
The significant development making all of this possible is the introduction of a solution that couples an incoming text message with the original outgoing message. This means the content of that reply can be fed back directly into the organisation’s database so that the next step in the process can be taken - all without any intervention by a human processor.
With the ‘reply’ conundrum addressed, SMS promises to be a small but significant revolution in the business-customer/business-employee relationship - breaking down boundaries, enabling direct interaction and bringing greater speed and efficiency into the equation.”
Are you getting the most out of your SMS potential?
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
http://www.mbusinessconsulting.com/
Two-Way SMS Herald New Business Opportunity say Boomcomms
Peter Tanner, Managing Director of Boomcomms, believes the potential of the humble text message has been largely lost on the business world – until now.
“As the frenzy over Twitter continues, the realisation of just what can be achieved in a targeted 160-character message is beginning to dawn on businesses. A number of transactions can be completed using a BlackBerry or email; however this requires a big investment, rendering the opportunity impractical for a majority.
An increasing number of companies are now using one-way SMS to confirm appointments or delivery times. But the critical challenge they all face is how to enable the recipient to respond in a way that closes the loop and completes an automated database transaction.
By simply adding a unique two-way SMS facility onto an existing business process, the automated workflow is successfully extended, boosting the customer/employee experience, without increasing costs. With two-way SMS the business possibilities are endless; authorisations and job status updates can be verified and confirmed in an instant, automatically triggering the next action in the database.
The significant development making all of this possible is the introduction of a solution that couples an incoming text message with the original outgoing message. This means the content of that reply can be fed back directly into the organisation’s database so that the next step in the process can be taken - all without any intervention by a human processor.
With the ‘reply’ conundrum addressed, SMS promises to be a small but significant revolution in the business-customer/business-employee relationship - breaking down boundaries, enabling direct interaction and bringing greater speed and efficiency into the equation.”
Are you getting the most out of your SMS potential?
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
http://www.mbusinessconsulting.com/
Monday, 31 August 2009
Unified Comms - Confused?
Times have changed dramatically in the past 10 years, traditional voice services have migrated from circuit base switches to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , the technology now allows communication methods to be more integrated.
Unified Comms means different things to different people however in essence it is the ability to integrate various communication methods, including voice, instant messaging (IM), presence, call centre functionality, unified messaging (UM), collaboration and conferencing over both wired and wireless networks. By integrating with a common presence database it allows for real-time delivery of communications based on method and location of recipient.
Today we are seeing more and more organisations not only interested in learning more about the capabilities of Unified Comms but also implementing them in a planned, cost effective manner. Any deployment of a Unified Communications solution should aim to protect the existing investment as much as possible whilst aiming to improve customer satisfaction, employee productivity, reduction in overheads and improve team interactions.
So lets be specific, some of the common productivity enhancing applications are:-
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
http://www.mbusinessconsulting.com/
Unified Comms means different things to different people however in essence it is the ability to integrate various communication methods, including voice, instant messaging (IM), presence, call centre functionality, unified messaging (UM), collaboration and conferencing over both wired and wireless networks. By integrating with a common presence database it allows for real-time delivery of communications based on method and location of recipient.
Today we are seeing more and more organisations not only interested in learning more about the capabilities of Unified Comms but also implementing them in a planned, cost effective manner. Any deployment of a Unified Communications solution should aim to protect the existing investment as much as possible whilst aiming to improve customer satisfaction, employee productivity, reduction in overheads and improve team interactions.
So lets be specific, some of the common productivity enhancing applications are:-
- Unified Messaging - Allows users to recieve fax, voice and email messages in one in-box that is accessible anywhere over any connected browser.
- IM/Presence - Provides visibilty of staff availability, status and the preferred mode for contacting them. It helps colleagues stay in touch, which aids faster better informed decision making.
- IP Telephony - Enables the convergence of voice and data over a single network for enhance call functionality and reduced communication costs.
- Conferencing - Integrates video and voice conferencing applications with existing desktop clients.
- Collaboration - Offers document sharing, white boarding and special conferencing to enhance teamwork.
- Mobility - Provides integrated mobile communications to reduce the device proliferation so prevalent in organisations. Also provides a single number irrespective of device or location that can be used to contact each user, thus eliminating guesswork and wasted time associated with dialling multiple number.
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
http://www.mbusinessconsulting.com/
Friday, 28 August 2009
Work Life Balance !
UK businesses could save up to £31.7 billion by helping workers fulfil their ideal work-life balance, according to a report by Orange into the impact of universal connectivity on the future of living and working in the UK.
The report, based on YouGov research and insights from futurologist James Bellini, reveals that 16% of respondents would be willing to take an average of £6,900 salary cut and 42% would be happy to forfeit their company car if it meant they could live and work in their ideal location. In addition, many more would be willing to forfeit the seniority of their role (27%) or future job progression (25%) to make their ideal work/life balance scenario a reality.
The survey of 3,281 UK office workers also reveals the potential impact that a more connected Britain might have on the geographical spread of the UK’s working population. Although 40% of office workers are happy in their current work location, according to the study, 39% would rather live and work by the seaside, the countryside or the mountains.
Overall, the responses show a desire to move away from the UK’s traditional industrial and economic hubs such as the North East and the Midlands to more rural, idyllic locations, such as Devon. The South West, currently the fifth most populous region in the UK, would be by far the most popular region in which to live, with London coming in at second place.
The research also uncovered the factors that currently drive people to live where they do, with 49% of office workers having moved to their current location because of a job offer.
Just 4% of workers are in their current location because of its proximity to family and friends. However, given the opportunity of flexible working in a universally connected Britain, 26% of people would choose a specific location because of its proximity to family and friends, creating a more family-oriented Britain.
Regular, social, face to face connections with close friends and family are clearly valued highly as workers strive for an improved work-life balance. This is especially true when considering that 87% of workers would choose to work flexibly away from the office some or all of the time and 31% would be willing to spend up to an hour travelling to work if it meant they could live in a location of their choosing. Unfortunately, in many cases, the traditional constraints of the physical office and employment hubs are limiting workers’ ability to make these choices.
This research shows that flexible working presents a significant opportunity for business to improve employee morale, work life balance, reduce costs and improve productivity. In the curent economic climate smart businesses will be investigating how they can implement a remote / mobility strategy to enhance their business.
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
http://www.mbusinessconsulting.com/
The report, based on YouGov research and insights from futurologist James Bellini, reveals that 16% of respondents would be willing to take an average of £6,900 salary cut and 42% would be happy to forfeit their company car if it meant they could live and work in their ideal location. In addition, many more would be willing to forfeit the seniority of their role (27%) or future job progression (25%) to make their ideal work/life balance scenario a reality.
The survey of 3,281 UK office workers also reveals the potential impact that a more connected Britain might have on the geographical spread of the UK’s working population. Although 40% of office workers are happy in their current work location, according to the study, 39% would rather live and work by the seaside, the countryside or the mountains.
Overall, the responses show a desire to move away from the UK’s traditional industrial and economic hubs such as the North East and the Midlands to more rural, idyllic locations, such as Devon. The South West, currently the fifth most populous region in the UK, would be by far the most popular region in which to live, with London coming in at second place.
The research also uncovered the factors that currently drive people to live where they do, with 49% of office workers having moved to their current location because of a job offer.
Just 4% of workers are in their current location because of its proximity to family and friends. However, given the opportunity of flexible working in a universally connected Britain, 26% of people would choose a specific location because of its proximity to family and friends, creating a more family-oriented Britain.
Regular, social, face to face connections with close friends and family are clearly valued highly as workers strive for an improved work-life balance. This is especially true when considering that 87% of workers would choose to work flexibly away from the office some or all of the time and 31% would be willing to spend up to an hour travelling to work if it meant they could live in a location of their choosing. Unfortunately, in many cases, the traditional constraints of the physical office and employment hubs are limiting workers’ ability to make these choices.
This research shows that flexible working presents a significant opportunity for business to improve employee morale, work life balance, reduce costs and improve productivity. In the curent economic climate smart businesses will be investigating how they can implement a remote / mobility strategy to enhance their business.
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
http://www.mbusinessconsulting.com/
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
BlackBerry as a remote control!!
Throw Out Your Remotes
The BlackBerry smartphone can take control of your house
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a lot of electronic devices in my house. There’s the TV, the DVD player, the DVR, the stereo, the computer and more. With so many components in our daily tech life, simplification is the key. In the past, that’s meant using a universal remote to control home electronics, but recently can we go further. John Brock decided to conduct an experiment to find out how well he could control everything from the one device that’s always on him - a BlackBerry® smartphone. Follow the link to see what is actually possible. http://www.blackberry.com/newsletters/connection/personal/i509/remotes.shtml?CPID=EMC-BBCN_pe_aug2009&MIG=4A8AEAD797F7168AE10000000A501446
The BlackBerry smartphone can take control of your house
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a lot of electronic devices in my house. There’s the TV, the DVD player, the DVR, the stereo, the computer and more. With so many components in our daily tech life, simplification is the key. In the past, that’s meant using a universal remote to control home electronics, but recently can we go further. John Brock decided to conduct an experiment to find out how well he could control everything from the one device that’s always on him - a BlackBerry® smartphone. Follow the link to see what is actually possible. http://www.blackberry.com/newsletters/connection/personal/i509/remotes.shtml?CPID=EMC-BBCN_pe_aug2009&MIG=4A8AEAD797F7168AE10000000A501446
Sunday, 23 August 2009
A Proven way to improve productivity - Mobile Technology
Do you and your staff sit at desks all day? If so you may not need mobile technology. However is sitting in the office the best way to drive your business? Do you need the size of your current office space? Is their a better way of achieving your business goals? Could more be done with your staff if a true remote working and mobility strategy was implemented in your business?
Benefits of a Mobile Strategy
The benefits from any implementation of a mobile solution, can be classified into two categories tangible benefits and intangible benefits.
Tangible Benefits
The saving that results from staff reductions is probably the most obvious economic benefit associated with a mobile strategy. Implementing a mobile solution can lead to increased individual productivity, increased sales per sales person, more service calls per repair person and less time spent by professionals on administrative work, all of which can ultimately translate into a reduction in total staff required.
However, there are several other tangible benefits associated with mobile solutions. A higher order-fill ratio as a result of accessing real-time inventory information at the time an order is submitted can translate into reduced inventory costs. On-the-spot invoice production in service vehicles can lead to shorter payment cycles and better cash flow.
Intangible Benefits
Many of the applications associated with mobile solutions involve automating sales, improving customer service or gaining a competitive advantage — all benefits that tend to be difficult to quantify. To ensure an effective project which will lead to business benefits the project team should outline these benefits with as much detail and as specifically as possible. The group should then translate these benefits into percent increases in sales, market shares and productivity improvements.
Further Benefits of Deploying a Mobility Solution
Benefits of a Mobile Strategy
The benefits from any implementation of a mobile solution, can be classified into two categories tangible benefits and intangible benefits.
Tangible Benefits
The saving that results from staff reductions is probably the most obvious economic benefit associated with a mobile strategy. Implementing a mobile solution can lead to increased individual productivity, increased sales per sales person, more service calls per repair person and less time spent by professionals on administrative work, all of which can ultimately translate into a reduction in total staff required.
However, there are several other tangible benefits associated with mobile solutions. A higher order-fill ratio as a result of accessing real-time inventory information at the time an order is submitted can translate into reduced inventory costs. On-the-spot invoice production in service vehicles can lead to shorter payment cycles and better cash flow.
Intangible Benefits
Many of the applications associated with mobile solutions involve automating sales, improving customer service or gaining a competitive advantage — all benefits that tend to be difficult to quantify. To ensure an effective project which will lead to business benefits the project team should outline these benefits with as much detail and as specifically as possible. The group should then translate these benefits into percent increases in sales, market shares and productivity improvements.
Further Benefits of Deploying a Mobility Solution
- Improved Business Productivity
- Enhanced worker efficiency through increased access to online resources
- Unlocks value in offline devices (brings PDA-like resources online)
- Faster execution of strategy (new procedures, pricing)
- Increased knowledge-sharing amongst workers, customers and partners
- Improved quality of decision making by informing employees
- Workers that can tune their level of interaction are apt to work during off hours
Improved Customer Loyalty/Service
- Better customer service (employees: are better informed, have shorter response times, have an improved ability to sense and respond)
- Higher quality interaction with customer
Business Resilience
- Able to quickly react to adversity through multiple channels
- Rapid deployment in reaction to an "event"
Cultural Enhancement
- Attracting and retaining employees, by allowing them to work where and when they choose, and by providing them the personalized tools for appropriate, customized information
Thursday, 20 August 2009
Lack of Security on Mobile Devices
Mobile devices by their very nature are not secure by default. A number of devices are sold with basic security options available however these settings need to be enabled to gain any value - the question here is how many businesses actually take the time and effort to enable the already present security options on their mobile devices?
The real issue is that a number of businessess both large and small are unsure of how to secure their mobile devices effectively, this in turn is opening up the organisation to hackers and Spam attacks.
According to a report in SC Magazine UK, Spam to mobile devices is increasing by 21% year on year, this is further supported via an independant study carried out by Airwide Solutions which indicates Spam across the EU is growing at 21.3% annually. With the now ubiquitous deployment of mobile devices in the workplace and in particular the disproportionate increase in Smartphones such as the BlackBerry, iPhone and Windows Mobile employees are now using these devices as essential business tools to store sensitive company and private information such as proprietary data, passwords etc. The traditional method of using passwords to secure devices which contain confidential or sensitive information is just inadequate for the environment we now operate in.
It is very clear that Mobile security is a threat that is continually growing and it can take many forms including:-
The real issue is that a number of businessess both large and small are unsure of how to secure their mobile devices effectively, this in turn is opening up the organisation to hackers and Spam attacks.
According to a report in SC Magazine UK, Spam to mobile devices is increasing by 21% year on year, this is further supported via an independant study carried out by Airwide Solutions which indicates Spam across the EU is growing at 21.3% annually. With the now ubiquitous deployment of mobile devices in the workplace and in particular the disproportionate increase in Smartphones such as the BlackBerry, iPhone and Windows Mobile employees are now using these devices as essential business tools to store sensitive company and private information such as proprietary data, passwords etc. The traditional method of using passwords to secure devices which contain confidential or sensitive information is just inadequate for the environment we now operate in.
It is very clear that Mobile security is a threat that is continually growing and it can take many forms including:-
- Malware - Viruses, Worms, Trojans, Spyware
- Direct Attack
- Physical Compromise - Accessing sensitive data/lost devices
- Data Communication Interception - Sniffing data as it is transmitted and received
- Authentication/Identity Snooping - Accessing resources with a users identity or credentials
- Exploitation and misconduct - Online predators, pornography, inappropriate communications
Pretending that Mobile Security is not an issue is to "stick your head in the sand" and does not grasp the potential of the problem or indeed how to adress it. With the ever increasing use of mobile devices businesses must ensure that their devices and data are secure.
Solutions exist to protect organisations mobile devices so ensure you understand what is possible and ensure your organisation does not become one of the unfortunate statitics.
Monday, 3 August 2009
Apple iPhone - Good enough as a business device?
The Apple iPhone is it a business device? Well it is clear that despite Apple apparent push to try and convince us all it is there are some serious misgivings about taking this device for anything other than a pure consumer play. The reason for my statement is quite simple from a security perspective the Apple iPhone is severely limited. The Operating system which Apple have utilised in the iPhone is designed around ease of use for the masses and not business security as required by all enterprises whether large or small. To my knowlegde I do not believe it is possible to enforce Corporate policies onto the iPhone and the main reason for this is quite simply the device is just to new. However if Apple continue to "get it right" the clamour for this device in the business world will become so self promoting that there will be an unswerving demand for a central management system that it will be impossible to ignore. As we move forward all platforms will eventually support the Open Mobile Alliance device management standard and then the Apple iPhone we become a truly beautiful business device .
Friday, 31 July 2009
How safe is your mobile
You own a business and employ a number of staff, more and more of your employees are using mobile phones for daily business activities. Where do you start in trying to secure your organisations data?
The best place to start is at the beginning - have you selected your organisations mobile device based on business requirements or the latest fancy gadget? Do your users require access to email, contacts and applications secured behind the company firewall? If so then it is important to select a device and operating system which is designed with security in mind, the threats are real - mobile hackers exist.
To date the mobile world has seen limited focus from hackers however we should not be complacent, technology allows those who know how to be able to deploy applications which can track incoming and outgoing messages, read texts messages and log all calls. Add to this the risk of data loss if employs lose their phones, can your company data be retrieved by unscrupulous individuals, is your company data encrypted? Can you "wipe" the device?
Their is a lot that must be considered when deploying mobile technology however the potential benefits for organisations that get it right include increased business productivity, shorter working capital cycles and improved customer satisfaction leading to greater repeat business.
Mobile security is necessary seek advice to ensure you get it right.
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
www.mbusinessconsulting.com
The best place to start is at the beginning - have you selected your organisations mobile device based on business requirements or the latest fancy gadget? Do your users require access to email, contacts and applications secured behind the company firewall? If so then it is important to select a device and operating system which is designed with security in mind, the threats are real - mobile hackers exist.
To date the mobile world has seen limited focus from hackers however we should not be complacent, technology allows those who know how to be able to deploy applications which can track incoming and outgoing messages, read texts messages and log all calls. Add to this the risk of data loss if employs lose their phones, can your company data be retrieved by unscrupulous individuals, is your company data encrypted? Can you "wipe" the device?
Their is a lot that must be considered when deploying mobile technology however the potential benefits for organisations that get it right include increased business productivity, shorter working capital cycles and improved customer satisfaction leading to greater repeat business.
Mobile security is necessary seek advice to ensure you get it right.
paul@mbusinessconsulting.com
www.mbusinessconsulting.com
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Overcoming the squeeze on company finances due to recession
Remote Working - Recession supports New Boom
With the focus on reducing costs and driving more from your existing investment are you taking the time as the business owner to assess how the available technology can support you in these challenging times?
Office space even in a declining market is expensive, travel costs continue to rise, do you really need to have fully equipped premises large enough for all of your staff with PC, deskphones, and the necessary overheads - could all this value be redistributed? Are we getting the most out of our people and systems, should they be commuting to the office on a daily basis?
Remote working for some or all of your employees may be the answer - however their are pitfalls - what were once well performing teams may potentially lose the team ethos and become less effective.
Considerations for all business owners:-
With the focus on reducing costs and driving more from your existing investment are you taking the time as the business owner to assess how the available technology can support you in these challenging times?
Office space even in a declining market is expensive, travel costs continue to rise, do you really need to have fully equipped premises large enough for all of your staff with PC, deskphones, and the necessary overheads - could all this value be redistributed? Are we getting the most out of our people and systems, should they be commuting to the office on a daily basis?
Remote working for some or all of your employees may be the answer - however their are pitfalls - what were once well performing teams may potentially lose the team ethos and become less effective.
Considerations for all business owners:-
- Are you comfortable in managing remote staff
- How do you identify and install suitable technology
- What new processes and measures are required?
- How do you know what is the best option for your business?
mBusiness Consulting provides practical and affordable advice that helps small and medium sized businesses put technology to work. You are one click away from the next chapter in your evolution - Everything is possible - you are only limited by your imagination.
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