Six reasons why business should outsource mobility management

Mobility is a critical productivity tool and it is imperative that IT helpdesk personnel are able to provide rapid support to workers wherever they are based.

An MMS provider will provide a support channel manned by mobility experts. They will be able to respond faster and more accurately than you can probably do in-house.

This is because they will have procurement and provisioning channels in place to speed the delivery of devices; and they will have direct access to your telco carrier’s network systems for orders, service changes, and for issue resolution. No hanging on the telephone for hours to resolve a billing error or SIM issue.

#2. You want to free up your IT team - hand it all over or plug the gaps

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – mobility is not really IT!  At least, that is how many IT specialists feel.  

Ordering a new device, assigning a carrier's service plan, issuing and activating a SIM card, auditing bills, monitoring usage and shared data pools - not IT!

Even in businesses with large mobile fleets, few IT departments have a dedicated mobility resource - with responsibilities often split between IT, finance, procurement - and even HR.

Building in-house expertise across the different stages of the mobility lifecycle is, at best, time-consuming and, at worst, costly, resulting in sub-par outcomes.

MMS providers can deliver a full-service online environment to manage all operational mobility requirements.

Alternatively, MMS providers can deliver custom modules to help IT departments plug their knowledge or resource gaps – such as telecom expense management (TEM), mobile device management (MDM), asset inventory management, procurement and provisioning, helpdesk, or telco carrier services.

#3. You recognise the benefits of using experts 

Like all technologies, mobility is constantly evolving.  

Keeping mobility management inhouse can introduce some risk factors such as lack of industry expertise, security and governance gaps, and an inability to be agile in responding to changing technology needs.

In-house management is also likely to be predicated on manual processes, and that can cause significant time and resources to be wasted and costs incurred. 

An MSP has a 'mobile-first' focus and will give you access to best practice knowledge, support and resources, including insights around existing carrier processes, emerging technology, and trends in the mobility workspace.

A mobility MSP is also across the latest threats and cybersecurity risks relevant to your mobile fleet, and is able to apply insights and services to mitigate this growing risk.

#4. You want visibility of costs and usage 

It is not uncommon for many Australian businesses to have limited visibility of their mobility costs.

A key outcome of mobility management is granular visibility of expenditure.

With the help of an MMS provider, you will gain visibility into benchmark data, as well as a detailed understanding of costs and usage down to individual end user.

This transparency can act as a continual audit with every employee's eyes on their bill.

It can also inform corporate governance including security and usage policies. 

#5.  Because outsourcing will pay for itself - savings average 12 percent

Research consistently shows that organisations spend less when they outsource mobility management. 

According to a Gartner survey, outsourcing to an MMS provider reduces Total Cost of Ownership by an average of 12 percent. Impressively, 17% of respondents reported savings of more than 20 percent.

This outcome is the sum total of all the activities undertaken by your MMS provider.

These will include telecom expense management, asset inventory management, reporting analytics as well as the savings associated with increased productivity which arise from faster and more effective support of your workforce. 

Cost saving may also arise from being able to realign internal resources that are currently responsible for responding to mobility issues.

#6. You want to negotiate with Carriers from a position of strength

• providing accurate data intelligence
• benchmarking your existing expenditure
• leveraging its knowledge of current plan features and price points to get optimal alignment
• representing your interests and optimising commercial constructs

What does it cost to outsource your mobility management?

The cost of a mobility management service will vary depending on the size of your fleet and the service inclusions provided.

At MobileCorp we have four tiers of Managed Mobility Service. These vary between $3 and $15 per active mobile service per month.

The costs can often be offset to a degree by the carriers who may offer to subsidise the managed service in return for a commitment to a specific plan level or a term. Similarly, carriers may offer a 'loyalty fund' or 'technology fund' which can be used to cover the costs of managed services. 

How should you choose a mobility management vendor?

You have a few options when it comes to choosing a mobility management vendor, but the decision will be most impacted by which carrier your mobile services are with.

Telstra has a partner eco-system to work with its enterprise and business customers.  Partners have subject matter expertise and proven experience and are given direct access into its back end systems to action customer requests. Telstra also allows assigned partners to negotiate special pricing discounts on the customer's behalf. About Telstra Partners. 

Optus and TPG Telecom do not have a partner eco-system. Instead you will have access to a self-service portal and can provide your login details to a third party to action requests on your behalf. 

If you have a split fleet, no single vendor can promise you equal access to resolving issues from all carriers unless you provide them with your login details. 

This differs for telecom expense management where most vendors will be able to accept electronic files from all carriers for analysis. 

What to ask a mobility management vendor?

If you are not a subject matter expert, how are you going to best interrogate a shortlist of mobility vendors?

This list would be a great starting point. Feel free to use this as a checklist of sorts.

• Can they provide references from existing customers with the same level of MMS you are considering?
• Are they offering any SLA commitments for support response or issue resolution?
• What is the experience/qualifications of the managed service consultants who will be fulfilling your orders?
• Exactly how will your data be secured?
• What are their industry relationships and certifications? 
• How do they deal with account management escalations?
• What business intelligence reporting is included as standard?
• Is telecom expense management included as standard?
• Is Mobile Device Management included as standard?
• Will they fulfil optimisation activity or just make recommendations ? Is there an option for automated and proactive optimisation activity?
• Is delivery of devices included and what are the delivery windows?
• What is included in their mobile device lifecycle service?
• What are their service desk support hours and communication channels?
• Is there an option for a VIP service?
• Is there an option for all end users to transact directly or will orders be funnelled through nominated representatives

What is Telstra Adaptive Mobility Care?

If you have a Telstra fleet, or even a split fleet with Telstra services, and you are an assigned enterprise customer* you will be offered Adaptive Mobility plans. These plans have no lock-in contract and the option of various bolt-on services.

One optional bolt-on is Telstra Adaptive Care which covers baseline support and Telstra carriage management provided by an accredited Telstra Partner like MobileCorp. Telstra Adaptive Care costs $3 per service per month. 

Award-winning Managed Mobility Service by MobileCorp

MobileCorp offers a Managed Mobility Service to suit every size of mobile fleet and budget.

It will be like having your  own expert inhouse mobility team.

You will benefit from having:

• a  single point of contact for all your end user mobility support that is easily accessed by portal, email or phone
• all your day-to-day operational tasks resolved expertly and swiftly with reduced fulfillment timeframes and personalised service
• your mobile devices managed across their lifecycle from procurement through provisioning, enrolment, security, repairs, and sustainable end-of-life management
• your Telstra provisioning and support activated quickly with direct access to Telstra back-end systems. No more having to join phone queues or engage in the back-and-forward of billing enquiries
• your mobile strategy informed by subject matter experts who are aligned with your assigned Telstra account team
• your mobile costs optimised, risks minimised, and productivity enhanced
• your IT resources freed to concentrate on your core business

MobileCorp is a Telstra Platinum Mobility Partner which means that Telstra trusts us to manage the fleets of their largest enterprise customers.

In 2023, MobileCorp was named Telstra Mobility Partner of the Year, which is the highest honour for Telstra corporate  fleet management.

MobileCorp mobility management capabilities

You will want to know that the key components of a mobility management service are included as standard in any offering. MobileCorp has summarised its capabilities as the following key modules:

• Procurement and Service Portal
• Priority Support Helpdesk including Carriage management
• Asset Lifecycle Management
• Asset Inventory Management
• Telecom Expense Management
• Mobile Endpoint Security
• Mobile Device Management | UEM e.g. Microsoft Intune, VMware Workspace ONE
• End-of-Life Buy-Back Program
• Jasper M2M SIM management