Nokia research has highlighted the need for businesses to review their mobile connectivity strategy.
This common theme is that demand is very definitely being driven from the ground up, by employees themselves. Nokia’s research shows that, although the majority of employees at companies of all sizes experience some level of enterprise mobility, over 70% of employees have to buy the mobile phones they use for work purposes themselves. In contrast, under 30% of employees buy their own laptops. Nokia’s research also shows that, of those businesses that do purchase their employees’ mobile phones, most either choose the handset or offer employees a selection from a list.
In smaller organizations, there can be greater awareness of employee demand and an opportunity to respond more closely to actual requirements, although this is likely to be tempered by the possibility that the organization might simply lack the resources to deliver on demand.
In larger organizations, the strategic vision is more likely to diverge from the true requirements of the workforce, resulting in discrepancies, mistakes in provision, and the need to work around provided equipment and services in order for employees to maintain productivity. Therefore, even though resources may be available, it seems more likely that they may be applied in a less than productive manner.
Nokia’s research, carried out in the US, Germany, and China, provides the valuable perspective that, in the majority of cases, there is a significant disconnect between the strategic assumptions of senior management regarding the use of mobile devices, and the actual day-to-day usage of the resources provided. This is an area in need of much greater awareness – and given that these are communications tools, what seems to be needed is some good old-fashioned talking between the various parties that are involved.
OpinionWire by Butler Group (www.butlergroup.com)
