There is no question that BYOD (bring your own device) has many benefits for businesses, especially if this is the only policy in place. Unfortunately, most organizations still provide company owned devices in addition to allowing individually owned devices. This mix of device ownership opens up the door for some big cost risks when you consider how BYOD will affect carrier contracts.
If you are in the majority, your business probably has both a BYOD policy and provides company-owned devices to certain employees. You can still benefit from BYOD cost savings if you fully understand you contractual agreements and know which aspects may negate any of these savings. Here are three common ways you can plan ahead and decrease your cost risks:
1. High volume discounts will still be given
Individual responsible users (IRUs) will count towards your total number of users on your current carrier contract and qualify you for any volume discounts. You will need to set up a corporate referral code for IRU's to use when they sign up their personal devices. This will add them to your corporate rate plan and, if enough IRUs sign up, give you more discounts than you currently have.
2. The effects of termination fees can be minimized
Carriers don't want you to remove users from your corporate plan or switch carriers. To deter companies from doing so, they include early termination fees in your contract that can be very expensive. The best weapon against these fees is timing. Know how your contract's termination fees will affect your cost savings and plan ahead to choose the best time to move users.
3. Be prepared for security costs
Making the move from corporate owned devices to BYOD leaves organizations open to a higher level of security risks because personal devices are much more vulnerable. To make sure company information is safe, detailed security and and governance policies must be put onto place. The costs for these solutions are high, but extremely crucial. Understanding and anticipating how security impacts your bottom line is key to managing them effectively.
If you are in the majority, your business probably has both a BYOD policy and provides company-owned devices to certain employees. You can still benefit from BYOD cost savings if you fully understand you contractual agreements and know which aspects may negate any of these savings. Here are three common ways you can plan ahead and decrease your cost risks:
1. High volume discounts will still be given
Individual responsible users (IRUs) will count towards your total number of users on your current carrier contract and qualify you for any volume discounts. You will need to set up a corporate referral code for IRU's to use when they sign up their personal devices. This will add them to your corporate rate plan and, if enough IRUs sign up, give you more discounts than you currently have.
2. The effects of termination fees can be minimized
Carriers don't want you to remove users from your corporate plan or switch carriers. To deter companies from doing so, they include early termination fees in your contract that can be very expensive. The best weapon against these fees is timing. Know how your contract's termination fees will affect your cost savings and plan ahead to choose the best time to move users.
3. Be prepared for security costs
Making the move from corporate owned devices to BYOD leaves organizations open to a higher level of security risks because personal devices are much more vulnerable. To make sure company information is safe, detailed security and and governance policies must be put onto place. The costs for these solutions are high, but extremely crucial. Understanding and anticipating how security impacts your bottom line is key to managing them effectively.
About the Author:
Joseph B. Kappernick specializes in helping Fortune 500 companies save money. He recommends that you visit NPI Financial to learn more about telecom expense reduction service
No comments:
Post a Comment