Mobile Workforce Report

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Conclusion

With the rise of the mobilocracy, comes a new mantra of entitlement – this is no value judgement; it’s just the way it is. Mobile employees believe in the right to connect whenever they want, wherever they need, and with the device of their choosing. They are disappointed when data coverage or network speed is subpar.

The most obvious issue that arises from this sense of entitlement is the cost of mobile workers taking connectivity into their own hands. Left unchecked, a mobile worker may well flaunt company policy and pay for exorbitantly priced Wi-Fi subscriptions or run up a significant roaming charge while using 3G on the road.

Not only are these costs often significant, they are also very hard to account for. Instead of falling within the IT budget, mobility costs are often hidden within expense claims – the mobility ‘black budget.’ Not only does this make it incredibly difficult for enterprises to understand their mobility costs, it also means they have very little insight into mobile working patterns and how they can best support their users going forwards. They will fall into the trap of expensive solutions for problems that are not well understood.

The demands of the new generation of mobile workers and their sense of entitlement where choice is concerned are having a significant impact on mobility. Despite the challenges this poses, proactive organizations should view this as an opportunity to build a better mobility infrastructure to support workers more flexibly. If the mobilocracy is altering business’ connectivity policies, it is important the IT staff recognize the psyche of their employees in order to generate the best remote working operability.

The new standard of computing will become a trinity of devices in the next several years. The mobile devices are themselves cheap; it’s the monthly network costs that are expensive. Having better visibility and control into mobility gives companies the ability to contain both costs and security issues. Mobility is increasingly shaping the IT landscape and companies that develop a holistic mobility strategy that maximizes the use of the best and most cost-effective networks will be able to control and cater to the rising mobilocracy in the workforce.

Summary of Recommendations for IT:

The mobile stack is now the new unit of computing. It is important for enterprises to focus on the real costs of equipping their mobile employees with all the tools they need. It will not be the devices that are expensive; it will be the network costs. CIOs and their IT departments need to have the ability to control what types of data (email, video chat/streaming, web browsing) mobile employees use, and on what types of networks. Having as much visibility into this as possible will only prove to be an advantage for the enterprise, for their cost structure and compliance.
Most employees are responsible for moderating data usage and watching data spend.
72 percent know how much data they consume in a month, and 70 percent would go on a data diet if cost became a consideration for data coverage. IT needs to worry about the segment of users who do not see or have knowledge of their bill or usage each month because their employers are footing the bill.
On the flip side, IT may want to take a more active role in providing alternate means of connecting for those who pay their own bills. If users stop using their personal smartphones for work because of data constraints, companies may lose some productivity. Even providing basic education for all employees on when and how to use Wi-Fi instead of 3G could make a big difference.
IT needs to take back control of the network by abstracting the user from network decisions and making their connectivity life simple. By steering the user to Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G networks at appropriate times and types of usage, IT can deliver cost controls ahead of potential 4G overage charges. The rise of the mobilocracy presents an opportunity for IT departments to engage employees with their own IT support and become a strong resource by providing training, educational materials, and delivering online tools, so that employees can troubleshoot issues themselves. The survey shows this is what mobile workers prefer to do anyway.
IT managers have an opportunity to improve the productivity of their mobile employees by making it easier to access corporate services from any location with consistent login and screens. IT should also reduce the barrier to connect, requiring little intervention from employees to get connected, but at the same time, automating all virus and security protections.

About iPass

Founded in 1996, iPass (NASDAQ: IPAS) is a leading provider of enterprise mobility services with 3,500 customers, including more than 420 of the Forbes Global 2000. The company’s mission is to be the voice of the enterprise in the market for mobility services by providing solutions that simply, smartly and openly facilitate access from any device on any network, while providing the visibility and control necessary to contain spiraling mobility costs, maximize mobile user productivity, and maintain security in a world where consumers now drive enterprise IT. For more information, visit www.iPass.com or follow iPass on Twitter at www.twitter.com/iPass.