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V3.co.uk sat down with Nick Jeffrey, chief executive of Vodafone Global Enterprise, today to hear his vision for the future of mobile working and the challenges of offering mobile managed services for some of the world's largest enterprises.
Jeffrey brushed off the recent green light given to T-Mobile and Orange to merge, saying their combined muscle would still not be able to offer the breadth of service Vodafone Global Enterprise could.
"The merger between the two operators is interesting but it won't affect us. It's a UK only deal whereas we are talking to companies that want to have services for staff positioned across the globe, from Afghanistan to Mexico," he said.
The Vodafone chief was also unequivocal about his belief that the future of business communications lay in the mobile world and said there would be a convergence of fixed and mobile technologies in the coming years.
"Multi-national enterprises are very savvy about what mobile technology can do for them and no-one is in any doubt that the future lies in mobile for cost-saving and productivity. However, they look to us for guidance on issues such as security and managed services," he said.
He explained that as smartphones increasingly come to resemble mini handheld computers, a balance is required between security and letting workers use their own smartphone devices. As a result, many firms now allow staff to use their own devices, such as BlackBerrys or iPhones, in return for certain administrative controls that let them manage the devices and push out security updates.
"Firms have to be conscious of the data that is stored on devices employees are using," he said.
"That's why managed services that can track phones, lock them, wipe them and disable certain functions, like the cameras, are very popular. They offer a key balance between letting workers have the phone they want while ensuring companies stay in control of the security of the devices and the data stored upon them."
Jeffery also explained that in the last few years the company has seen a dramatic shift among large enterprises as they look to outsource the management of their mobile devices, and also in the way in which mobile charges are billed.
"In the past, services were charged by the minute, or by the megabyte, but now we are moving into a far more sophisticated charging system. With companies spread out across the globe they now want just a flat rate pay per device, or per seat, models," he said.
"This gives firms the ability to have a far more predictable pricing structure over the cost of the year's mobile use for each employee, without the risk of any hidden costs. This allows them to budget far more effectively and gives them the confidence to let employees use their devices wherever they are."
Jeffery said that as only very large multinationals are currently in a position to take advantage of such a system, only a handful of operators worldwide would ever offer global services.
"It is likely that only four or five companies will offer global managed services like we do," he argued. "There is competition in this area and that is good for the market and helps to keep us moving forward, but it's unlikely many other firms will enter this market as setting up global systems is not straightforward."
As a final point, Jeffery also predicted a surge in machine-to-machine communications.
"There are probably about 50bn machines in the world that could talk to one another, but only around 50m have the capability. With our SIM technology and global networks we are able to provide manufacturers with the ability to make devices that are geographically agnostic, anything from cars to fridges," he said.
11 Mar 2010
