How much do we really know about our phones or – even more complex – our smartphones? We know they turn on, make calls and even connect to our work e-mail. The hard part usually comes when trying to organize the bill, trouble shoot problems with the device and understanding all the applications. Occasionally, this becomes difficult for any mobile customer. Now, try to imagine handling all those issues across 1,000 phones. This is the headache attacking many businesses that take the initiative of providing employees with phones.
There may a new pill for the migraine. Mobile management companies are emerging to take the reigns from the I.T. specialist or whoever in the company has been tapped to deal with phone issues and service plans, as well as manage billing, customer service and the like.
Soothing the headache
Rivermine is an example of this type of Tylenol, if you will. Jim Carroll, executive VP of global wireless services for Rivermine, said the company supervises anything wireless inside a company. Carroll said his company – originally BBR Wireless Management but switched to the name Rivermine after the two companies recently merged – began by focusing on optimizing wireless rate plans, but the company has evolved and now handles bill audits, purchasing wireless devices and rate plans from multiple carriers, managing expenses and even providing customer service.
“We gave them a good way to manage expenses right from the beginning,” Carroll said.
When Rivermine works with a company, it provides an online portal tool with a log-in name and password so authorized company personnel can look at the accounts in a cohesive manner and see what’s truly going on.
“There were issues with CEOs worrying about payments,” Carroll said. “Were employees using wireless for business use? For personal use? Our reporting suite gave all managers visibility into what they were actually spending and using each month.”
As part of the management process, Rivermine also provides a wireless help desk that employees or the wireless pinpoint person can call to troubleshoot device problems.
“Now they don’t have to wait on hold with carriers for minutes or even hours,” Carroll said. “We also offer device management services for testing, loading applications onto BlackBerries, consulting services and others; really a complete outsource of the I.T. department.”
For Rivermine, this means they have to learn every single plan, every device and be able to trouble shoot on a moments notice. Carroll said his firm typically hires people from the wireless industry so employees are well versed on these issues.
“We have a huge library,” Carroll said. “It’s one person’s job to just keep up with the plans and phones and the changes.”
This ultimately begs the question, how did carriers feel about all of this? And how did these companies get their hands on that crucial and private billing and personal information carriers possessed for their enterprise customers?
Working with carriers
Josh Lipton, VP of consulting at Advantix Solutions Group, another wireless management company, said initially it was a challenge.
“They thought that we were there to move in on their relationship with the customers from a business standpoint,” Lipton said. “We don’t cut out the existing sales process. There are no activations; we operate as agents on behalf of the company.”
However, Lipton also said they don’t influence customers to go one way or the other. Advantix and Rivermine both work with all carriers for their customers, and just help them pick the right plans, phones and applications within those carriers.
Once a business or company decides to work with companies such as Rivermine or Advantix, Carroll said the company must provide a letter of authority, which he sends to the carrier that gives his company access to billing, rights to change billing, capabilities to add/delete services, etc.
“Most carriers trust and know us,” Carroll said.
Money game
But before that happens, these management companies must convince enterprise customers of the value of the service. Rivermine and Advantix aren’t free, but they both drive it home that using this type of company will save money overall. Mobile management companies such as these market themselves mainly based on the basis of the rate plan optimization.
“People typically overbuy minutes and we’re going to adjust rate plans,” Carroll said. “It’s perfectly fine with the carrier. We’re not changing anything, just moving the minutes up or down, making the best possible rate plan they can be on.”
Miguel Jorge, wireless administrator for Grant Thornton L.L.P., a Rivermine customer for about two years, said the return on investment is very evident.
“We had $30,000 savings after they came in and cleaned up house,” Jorge said. “Every month we save money.”
Grant Thornton currently operates 1,300 Research In Motion Ltd. BlackBerries and plans on having 2,000 devices eventually when every employee has a phone. Jorge said the need for a company like Rivermine became necessary because there was no standardization.
“Nobody really understood the wireless arena,” Jorge said. “Rather than hire someone internally that had no experience, we hired the experts.”
