Our team is looking to capitalize on Gartner’s recent announcement that MOBI will be one of 19 MMS service providers who will be featured on the first Magic Quadrant dedicated to managed services for enterprise mobile devices.

Attending the event will be MOBI’s CEO and Co-Founder – Scott Kraege, President – Mitch Black, Vice President of IT – Eric Sendelbach. We would love to connect with you before the event! Simply click our names to visit our profile page to connect with us via LinkedIn, Twitter, or email!

Our primary goal at the show will be to collaborate with many of the thought leaders in the mobile industry. In the Managed Mobility Services industry it is important to connect, share ideas, and collaborate on the hot topics of the industry.

A MOBI partnership is ideal for an organization seeking to provide its current customers with managed mobility services. The primary reason we established a partnership channel was to offer system integrators, IT outsourcing firms, and traditional TEM providers with additional tools and resources to therefore provide their customers with the complete lifecycle of managed mobility services.

As a MOBI partner you will create new incremental revenue streams for your organization while receiving best in class marketing, sales, solution design, and implementation support.

MOBI partnerships have been cited as a trusted, easy-to-execute managed mobility extension of their already established services. If you’re interested in learning more about partnership opportunities while attending CTIA, please feel free to reach out to MOBI so we can schedule some time for you to connect.

See you in Vegas!

“I am extremely honored to join the MOBI management team,” Jerry Baughey said. “You will not find another wireless management company so committed to client satisfaction, which was a key deciding factor in my decision to join this top-notch company.”

Jerry spent the first 12 years of his career in the wireless industry. At Arch Wireless, he worked his way up from an entry level Inside Sales position to a Regional Vice President role with responsibility for multiple midwestern markets and several channels of distribution. Jerry participated in the integration of acquired companies Mobilecomm and Page Net during his time at Arch Wireless.

After Arch, Jerry spent four years at Sprint/Nextel leading an Enterprise Sales Team with notable wins in the mobile data and custom network solution space. Most recently, Jerry was Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the Carmel, IN based Bitwise Solutions, a leading web development firm. Prior to Bitwise, Jerry spent three years leading the Account Management Team at Angie’s List playing a significant role in the growth of Angie’s List’s advertiser base.

Jerry holds an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan and a Bachelor’s Degree from Indiana University. He lives in Westfield, IN with his wife, Lora, and their 3 children.

“MOBI has all of the traits of a company that I want to be a part of,” Jerry noted. “They are on the cutting edge of their industry, passionate about client satisfaction, and committed to the growth and success of their employees.”

BYOD programs aren’t inherently troublesome, but should be executed carefully. In light of the article, MOBI Vice President of Operations, Nanci Churchill, shares some advice and considerations when offering a BYOD program.

1. Role-Based Line Ownership Decisions - Consider the ownership of lines as it relates to your business.  You don’t want your best salesperson to leave the company and take their phone number, prospect pipeline, and customer contacts.
2. Policy & Exceptions - Ensure users have been notified and understand the wireless policy and the exceptions that apply to them.
3. Select Wiping - Ensure the MDM you select offers solid value around select wiping.
4. Support Burdens - Broader device options mean increased support for corporate connectivity.  Plan to staff up or find a trusted partner.

MMS providers want to be able to provide an answer for global solutions with the same service level expectations. Unfortunately, due to many reasons, it’s not a reality in the current market landscape:

1. Functionality & Execution
   In basic function, most North American programs are the same – procurement support, billing analysis and cost containment recommendations, end-user support, and reporting. Unlike their parts, every program differs greatly in execution.
2. Carrier Data
   Not all carrier data is created equal. We often get questions of why can’t you provide “this data usage info” from carrier XYZ like you do for carrier ABC. The answer is that the carrier doesn’t provide us the information. Carriers have many reasons why they only carry certain data: carrier systems are not as robust, carrier provides high level insight, but doesn’t provide granular details, etc.
3. Carrier Fragmentation
   Carrier fragmentation overseas is wide spread. Regional carriers exist in North America but there are a number of smaller or regional carriers are greatly magnified in AMEA, APAC, etc.
4. Acquisition vs. Organic Growth
   Those companies that “have” a global solution normally acquire companies in international markets and try to figure out how two completely different technologies can work together (operating in the same way, representing data in the same way, etc.). A question to ask yourself, is that the same experience globally as it is in North America?
5. Device Procurement
   The regional carrier’s logistics and the laws that govern within the country of operation complicate procurement support.
6. Privacy Laws
   Some countries have privacy laws that prevent data to be sent outside of the country.
7. Service Plans & Features
   The structure of plans and features differs from North America as most international carriers provide a plan or feature for a base cost then your bill varies on the individual usage. Pooling options are traditionally a North American feature.

All of this is important to understand prior to engaging with an MMS provider. Like it or not, if you go into this conversation asking general questions about global capabilities, you will be provided with general answers that will not identify whether the company you are speaking to can provide the level of service you are expecting. Ask yourselves these questions internally before seeking and discussing with a global MMS provider:

1. What are our line counts?
   Line counts matter – not only because the provider is going to be calculating revenue, but both parties have considerations. Does it make sense to support 10 lines in a far off place in Africa and the Middle East or would it be a better goal to address the user population of 500 in the UK?
2. What are our major priorities?
   Since each program’s daily functions are executed differently what is your priority lists – End user support (native language), procurement support, billing analysis, insight into usage or reporting, etc. Do these priorities change based on country or region?
3. How many of your global carriers provide electronic billing data?
4. What internal company resources do we have in country?
   How can we leverage these resources to help achieve global mobility initiatives?
5. Which countries or regional user base takes priority to roll out the solution?
6. What is your budget for supporting global users?
   Breaking the budget down into service priorities will help you see a good overall picture.

RCR Wireless Interviewed MOBI President, Mitch Black, about four key areas to consider when selecting an MDM provider.

With the escalating number of employees using mobile devices to access both personal and professional content on corporate networks, mobile device management is becoming a significant point of discussion among enterprises. At its most basic, MDM works to monitor devices and protect the data on the network that those devices are accessing.
Implementing an MDM solution is becoming commonplace. Ultimately, MDM providers offer a unique set of services. If enterprises have the internal infrastructure, resources and policy, the process of implementing an MDM solution is simple.

Each MDM provider solves similar problems, but different companies go about it in different ways. MDM capabilities vary and ultimately depend on the company’s needs, priorities and business policies. An MDM solution offers a convenient way to manage certain aspects of corporate devices, but each solution is an investment and requires set-up, integration, support and hands-on resources, as well as effort to ensure it is working at its full capacity.

When choosing an MDM solution, an organization should look for a provider that offers the best combination of meeting requirements, integration, management and support. Enterprises often find themselves at a crossroads when the MDM solution doesn’t offer custom workflow or managed service solutions. At the basic level, any high-performance MDM solution can help enterprises quickly resolve connectivity issues, push policy updates, troubleshoot technical issues, monitor device diagnostics and remotely configure devices.

Based on recent findings comparing 12 MDM industry leaders – using technical data sheets, webinars, corporate representatives and Gartner information – there are four key areas that should be considered when searching for an MDM provider:

1. Delivery method: There are several different ways to incorporate an MDM into your existing corporate infrastructure, with SaaS cloud, on-premise appliances and on-premise software. Six of the 12 providers offered delivery through an SaaS cloud solution while AirWatch and MobileIron were the only two providers who offer on-premise applications. Just about all of the top providers offer an on-premise software delivery option, which is the most common approach for businesses.

2. Supported mobile devices: When transitioning into using an MDM service provider, consider the device operating systems within your program and your future device road map. Almost all top providers will support Apple iOS, Google Android, Windows 7 phone and BlackBerry operating systems, but you might find fewer providers when you get out of the mainstream mobile operating systems. Based off research, Symbian and Web OS/Palm seem to have the least MDM providers available.

3. Enterprise integration: Just as considering the operating system in an organization’s mobile devices is important, so is considering the existing corporate infrastructure. Of the 12 providers reviewed, all 12 offered integration with LDAP/AD, PKI infrastructure/certs, SCEP, MS ActiveSync and VPN. Regardless of the infrastructure system, there shouldn’t be much difficulty finding an MDM provider that is compatible with any well-established organization’s infrastructure system.

4. Key supported features: Nearly every key feature on mobile devices will be supported by any of the leading MDM providers. Some key features include Wi-Fi configuration, passcode enforcement, device restrictions, app management and robust device reporting. It’s important to identify and compare the services included in an MDM solution to ensure your business’s needs are met before and after implementation.

With the proliferation of mobile devices in the workplace, a whole new world of security, support and maintenance has opened up and an organization’s effective use of mobile devices can be greatly limited without the support of a top-notch MDM system in place. Pairing an organization’s existing corporate infrastructure and commonly used mobile devices with an MDM that supports the organization’s key features is always the hard part of the MDM integration but, in the end, your mobile efficiency and security can greatly benefit from incorporating MDM into the system.

According to Eric Goodness, a Research VP at Gartner, MOBI passed the following seven qualifications to be included as one of the 19 companies participating in the Managed Mobility Services Magic Quadrant.

1. Must directly deliver some organic IT services content to user organizations (providers cannot sub-contract/private label all IT services delivery)
2. Must maintain IT services portfolios that include the integration of mobility management software
3. Must maintain IT service portfolios to include consulting and advisory series related to mobility strategy, mobile devices and mobile software and applications
4. Must maintain IT service portfolios to include the ongoing management of mobile devices and mobile application releases
5. Must have at least 100,000 mobile devices under management
6. Must have devices under management in at least 3 of the 5 of the following geographies: Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Europe, North America
7. Must complete all data fields in the vendor survey

The Magic Quadrant (featured above) works to show where your company and its competitors are located in a specific market due to the quality of their vision and execution of their product or service. The four areas include Challengers, Leaders, Niche Players, and Visionaries.

MOBI puts the focus on the interests of our clients. By doing this, we have continually grown and developed our solutions in the managed mobility services industry. The success of our clients and growth of MOBI continues to solidify our vision and what we strive to achieve in the future.

How Does It Work?

e-Cycle aids companies with implementing a secure, environmentally friendly, and simple program for selling or disposing of old company devices.

e-Cycle follows a rigorous, multi-step process for data deletion, which includes testing for active phone lines and SIM / external memory card micro shredding. The e-Cycle process follows numerous data security and environmental sustainability standards including the US Department of Defense standard for scrubbing BlackBerry devices, HIPAA Title 45 CFT Part 164 for security standard, ISO 140001, R-2, and eStewards, among others.

Working Together

MOBI’s integration with e-Cycle allows us to send the exact number of devices that need to be wiped and recycled. The e-Cycle team of knowledgeable staff members completes a rigorous, multi-step process to ensure every device has been completely wiped of all sensitive information before it is recycled or sold.

e-Stewards Certification

Not only does e-Cycle help your company comply with environmental standards and help save the environment with an e-Stewards Certification, but e-Cycle also carries the highest standard of data security for wiping devices.

Understanding Our Partnership

MOBI partners with wireless asset and recovery programs to ensure our customers have the most secure and environmentally friendly end-of-life device management services to choose from. This partnership is just another step taken by MOBI to ensure our customers have the right piece of mind when decommissioning their old or unused devices.