Benefits of a local mobile device solution

Benefits of a local mobile device solution

Why would an organization deploy a local mobile solution if it's possible to access information via a constant connection? (I.E. wireless, WiMax etc.) And even if you do not have a connection, how do you determine the value that a user can get from having the data locally. Sales guy entering SFA information? Is it really a big deal to enter it into a system right after a call when you can actually enter it through the web at the end of the day?

    Requires Free Membership to View

    Login

    SearchMobileComputing.com members gain immediate and unlimited access to expert guides for mobile deployment, management and security, industry trends, and more-- all at no cost. Join me on SearchMobileComputing.com today!

    Kate Gerwig, Editorial Director

    By submitting your registration information to SearchMobileComputing.com you agree to receive email communications from TechTarget and TechTarget partners. We encourage you to read our Privacy Policy which contains important disclosures about how we collect and use your registration and other information. If you reside outside of the United States, by submitting this registration information you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Your use of SearchMobileComputing.com is governed by our Terms of Use. You may contact us at webmaster@TechTarget.com.

Assuming you do have a constant connection, which is highly unlikely, you need to consider the battery life of your device. Most devices already have minimal battery life and 'transmitting/receiving is the major source of battery life. With an occasionally connected model, you are maximizing battery life and minimizing the cost of critical bandwidth.

Bottom-line: Storage on a mobile device is cheap. Bandwidth is expensive and not always available, and the most strategic element of any mobile device is battery life.

Regarding the sales guy – if you were to have the latest customer or prospect information with you… such as an article announcing increased profits or declaration of bankruptcy, would that not enable you to be better prepared in interacting with the account? Or what if the sales guy knew the customer had placed an order earlier in the day, and he could augment that order with some additional items, would that not help him/her close additional business?

Say you are a field engineer, fixing customer equipment. If you have the information on your device that indicated what was and was not included in the maintenance contract and any work done outside of the contract required a customer signature, would this not enable the Engineer to be more productive without having to call back to the home office for more information or make additional trips to the customer site?

Bottom-line: Most often the data sitting in home office databases can enable a company's mobile worker to differentiate themselves from competitors, resulting in greater customer satisfaction and retention… and they can be a referral to prospects on your excellent customer driven service.

This was first published in February 2005

Back to top