The Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Washington, D.C. is the communications industry’s only event exclusively for indirect sales organizations – agents, VARs, systems integrators, interconnects and consultants – focused on transforming their businesses to become converged solutions providers.

We look forward to seeing you there.

http://www.channelpartnersconference.com/2010/dc/

Keeping your mobile workforce equipped presents major challenges when it comes to managing the process of purchasing devices and applications. Even smaller organizations may find themselves wrangling a rodeo of laptops, tablet PCs, ruggedized handhelds or laptops, and smartphones. Good purchase control requires striking the proper balance between corporate control and end-user flexibility. Among the factors adding to mobile purchasing challenges are:

• Employees who purchase handheld devices directly, often circumventing corporate procedures.
• Devices that make it easy for individuals to add software, with potentially costly consequences for the enterprise.
• Corporate departments that may require unique mobile applications that work only for their specific needs and don’t apply to the rest of the organization.
• And, of course, carrier service fees for voice and data communication.

Here’s what end users interviewed advise about managing mobile purchasing expenses in your enterprise.

• Identify who within the organization really needs the software application on their mobile device.
• Discuss mobility needs with department managers and make a list of appropriate devices.
• Implement direct billing to individual departments within the
• corporation.
• Limit the number of wireless carriers that I.T. will support.
• Factor in how you’re going to deal with accessories, repairs and spare parts for every device your enterprise is supporting.
• Be prepared for additional costs thatwill be incurred when extending desktop applications to mobile devices.
• Set voice and data contracts with carriers for as short a term as possible to give you the flexibility to keep up with rapidly changing technology.

Service providers who want to remain competitive must focus on the promise offered in mobility solutions. As captured in a recent white paper, any enterprise wishing to remain competitive must embrace the flexibility and productivity gains with mobile communications and data access.

With the evolution of available technology platforms and the personal preferences of employees, an enterprise cannot ignore the potential of the integration of mobile telecommunications into the business model. The challenge is that even with its promises, mobile solutions offer serious management drawbacks as mobile technology is nothing if not dynamic. With the rapid deployment of devices and applications in the market, staff members have little time to learn how to use them before it is time to update.

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Back in high school I used to drive an old Chevy Blazer. This was before SUVs were all the rage, so many people referred to it as my “truck.” This bugged me to no end. I’m not sure why it mattered so much, but in my mind I didn’t drive a “truck” and couldn’t stand it when anyone suggested otherwise.

This little trip down memory lane comes thanks to the recent arguments around 4G and which technologies get to associate themselves with the label.

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Telecommunications networks may be the lifeblood of the modern enterprise, but they’re clogged with cholesterol in the form of byzantine, complex, and often inscrutable bills. As enterprises have increased their use of telecom services, the monthly invoices—which often come from a host of different voice, data, and wireless carriers throughout the country—are so ponderous they make hospital bills look trivial by comparison.

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