With enterprises constantly looking for ways to manage operational expenses, costs related to ever-increasing dependence on mobile services have come under greater scrutiny. One model for enterprises to get a handle on these expenses is through the use of managed mobility services, which can either assist or replace mobile management typically done by an IT department.
Sam Ganga, EVP of DMI’s Commercial Division, lays out five questions enterprises need to ask when looking into an MMS provider.
1. Who is actually fulfilling the service?
MMS providers may assure you that they have the global coverage and expertise you need, but some of them can only achieve these promises with the help of other service providers. For a more seamless experience, and to ensure that your users, devices and infrastructure are being managed well, it’s best to find a service provider with the bench strength to support your company’s needs organically.
2. How do their service level agreements stack up?
You will probably work with your service provider based on a detailed operations plan and clearly defined service level agreements – at least, that’s how it should be. Ask to review your managed service provider’s existing SLAs and their performance records. Do they meet or exceed their SLAs, or do they fall behind?
3. Does the provider possess the expertise you need?
This is an area that requires research. Contact your mobile device management vendor to see what kind of relationship they have with the managed service provider. Do they have the breadth of capability to keep up with your growth? Do they just manage devices, or can they take care of the whole mobile device life cycle: procuring, provisioning, kitting, staging, refresh and warranty, break-fix? Can they provide a higher level of service for VIPs? A few managed service providers actually build and manage mobile application solutions as well as offer managed mobility services. If you need to field and manage mobile applications, you’ll want to consider the advantages of integrated management and security for apps as well as devices.
4. Can they grow with you?
It’s a good idea to take the long view regarding your managed service provider’s ability to support your organization. What about future growth? Mergers and acquisitions? Does the service provider have the ability to support you on a global scale? Are they well-versed in the legal, security, privacy and governance requirements that vary from country to country? This is especially important if you’re supporting “bring-your-own-device” users.
5. What standards does the provider use for service delivery excellence?
Look for key quality measures like ISO certifications and other well-recognized industry standards. Seasoned service providers will have invested the time and resources to implement stringent quality controls and processes to ensure that service and security are maintained at the highest levels.
