Mobile

What Huawei Can Teach Us About International Tech Challenges

What Huawei Can Teach Us About International Tech Challenges

Huawei is a big name in the headlines right now. The Chinese tech company seems to be in hot water over a number of allegations. Whatever the future holds, it’s clear that their international deals are going to suffer for at least a while. Since you’re going to continue to hear about Huawei for some time, maybe it’s worth a little investigation. What exactly went wrong for Huawei, and what can you learn from it?

AMM: What Is Automated Mobility Management?

AMM: What Is Automated Mobility Management?

Automation can be of the utmost value to mobility management. Using a solid, integrated approach, the automation features and benefits can be enjoyed by users across a variety of platforms and applications regardless of the devices they are using.

Best Practices in Mobile Help Desk

Best Practices in Mobile Help Desk

Organizations are operating in drastically different ways than they did a decade ago. The integration of mobile devices into everyday workflows has impacted everyday business opportunities. As such, employees must be provided with a tool that supports mobile assistance and enablement.

Fake Android "Security" App Tip of the Fraud Iceberg

Fake Android "Security" App Tip of the Fraud Iceberg

The Android Police did a good job recently laying bare the latest scandal of fraudulent apps and malware infecting the Droid universe.Though it was caught fairly quickly, the recent fake Virus Shield app rocketed to #1 on the App Store with over 10,000 downloads in a week – at $3.99 each – before it was determined that it offered no security features whatsoever. 

The Carrier Wars – Can we thank government regulation?

The Carrier Wars – Can we thank government regulation?

We talk a lot about the Carrier Wars and how it is impacting the mobile market, as shrinking growth options drive vendors to invite creative ways to steal clients from one another.  But the New York Times added an interesting angle in a recent article giving the federal government some credit for this cost-lowering, two-year-contract-busting, annoying-fee-eliminating fight.  And they may have a point…

2014 Telecom Trend #5: Bring on the Phablets

2014 Telecom Trend #5: Bring on the Phablets

If you haven’t heard, Phone + Tablet = Phablet. This newest entry into the mobile device market is a mashup of ideas, designed to offer more screen space, while still providing the talk capabilities of a phone.  Already big in global markets, it is hitting the US consumer hard.

Wearable tech and network security: time to worry?

Wearable tech and network security: time to worry?

Techradar wrote a great article on wearable tech and network security recently, leading off with the ridiculous new product from Sony -a “smartwig”.  Supposedly such an item could be worn even if you have hair – as an extra – and be used to do things like change slides for a presentation with a waggle of the eyebrows, orient and guide the wearer via GPS, or transmit biometric data (heartbeat, blood pressure) from the wearer to medical staff.

2014 Telecom Expense Management Trend #4: The Wave of Wearables

2014 Telecom Expense Management Trend #4: The Wave of Wearables

The technology world is seeing a massive explosion of wearable new toys, all wirelessly connected.  The floor at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was swimming with them – all racing to market to capture early tech adopters.  Smartwatches and Google Glasses are just the tip of the iceberg. There is a veritable avalanche of gadgetry heading your way.

2014 Telecom Expense Management Trend #3: The Mobile Carrier Wars: What does it mean?

2014 Telecom Expense Management Trend #3: The Mobile Carrier Wars: What does it mean?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re aware that the mobile carriers have been taking major pot shots at each other lately.  ATT&T and T-Mobile especially, and between the nutty CEO antics and “mano a mano” marketing strategies, the tactics and analyst speculations fill industry news.

2014 Telecom Trend #1: BYOD – Boom or Bust?

2014 Telecom Trend #1: BYOD – Boom or Bust?

Many firms just don’t have a good enough grasp of their current telecom environment to be able to determine if BYOD does them any good.  It always comes back to “You can’t manage what you can’t measure”.  If you don’t know where you are now, how do you decide where to go?

Carriers Pushed To Provide "Kill Switches" by New California Bill

Carriers Pushed To Provide "Kill Switches" by New California Bill

Mobile carriers have long pushed back on law enforcement, and customer, requests to provide a “kill switch” on their devices.  A kill switch can come in various forms, but is intended to disable phones when stolen, making them less attractive to thieves by eliminating their resale value.  With mobile phone theft making up a high percentage, 30-40%, of all robberies in the US the problem is very real.  But carriers have been accused of refusing to provide such a feature, due to the perception that they benefit from stolen phones in two ways.  First, the previous owner now has to buy a new phone, often at sky high “out of contract” rates.  And secondly, the stolen phone is often activated by the new owner, gaining the carrier a new customer.

The "Death of Blackberry" Illustrates Mobile Transition Challenges for Enterprise

The "Death of Blackberry" Illustrates Mobile Transition Challenges for Enterprise

The Telecom Expense Management Industry Association (TEMIA), of which Valicom is a member, is the voice for telecom and mobile expense management providers in the US.  In conjunction with member organizations, they just released a new report on best practices for organizations that are transitioning employees’ mobile devices. The report, titled “BlackBerry Concerns Dial up Bigger Issues for Enterprises”, is available online from the Valicom telecom management white paper library.

20% of BYOD Implementations "Destined to Fail"?

20% of BYOD Implementations "Destined to Fail"?

Firms are adding security measures to manage mobile at an unprecedented pace, but that may not be enough.  Personal mobile devices are still considered that to their owners – “personal”.  “My stuff, not your stuff.”   So security policies designed to protect the company may be balked at by users, and users’ own sloppy personal habits – like storing passwords ON their devices, or not setting up PIN access – can also undermine the efforts.

Smartphone Tech Highlights from CES 2014

Smartphone Tech Highlights from CES 2014

The buzzword for the Consumer Electronics Show in 2014 appeared to be “wearables”.  Vendors are racing to market with eyewear, monitors, watches and fitness-related devices that all chain to your smartphone.  The reach has expanded to every imaginable corner of human activity.  Companies touted wearable baby monitors, golf gloves, gaming devices, and pet-tracking collars to keep a digital eye on Fido.  Wireless carriers must love this trend, as unless you’re within a wi-fi zone, all that delicious data comes out of your capped plan and has the potential to drive up usage, and profits. For a peek, check out this slide show.

T-Mobile’s Shot Across the Bow – The Wireless War Continues

T-Mobile’s Shot Across the Bow – The Wireless War Continues

At the widely watched Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas, the latest volley in the ongoing wireless carrier battled was unleashed.  T-Mobile, in a move that has been hinted at by CEO John Legere, has offered to pay customers’ penalty fee with other carriers if they make the jump to them.  The early-termination fee rebate could go as high as $650.