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By Steph Lavallee, Corporate Marketing manager

Having the right tools is critical to the success of any job. One of the biggest trends in communications is BYOD, or bring your own device. Meaning, employers are allowing their workers to bring their personal devices to the job site to perform tasks. However, you wouldn’t send a firefighter to a burning building with just a garden hose or a pail of water, so why would you equip your frontline workers with a phone that’s meant for the average consumer?

While BYOD is good in theory, and on the surface might appear to save your company money, in the long run, it costs more time and money to make these devices suitable for the workplace than it would to equip your deskless workers with a device that was purpose-built for the demands of enterprise. While it’s true that the upfront costs may appear to be minimal because your employees likely already own their own devices, who becomes responsible for the service and maintenance of the phones once they are required for the job? Who needs to pay for the phone plan? And how does your IT department manage such a wide variety of different devices, plans, and operating systems without undue stress or needing to hire additional staff to keep up with the demands?

Perhaps the biggest risk to BYOD is security. Particularly in fields like healthcare, where HIPAA laws are in effect to protect patient privacy, or in environments where confidential information is being shared, ensuring the security of communications is essential. Personal devices are more vulnerable to hacking, and there is the added potential of information inadvertently being leaked outside of the worksite should an employee lend their device to a friend, or use a public Wi-Fi network without encryption, or even if they lose their device. And, IT teams have less control over the types of applications that can be downloaded or websites can be accessed on consumer devices, or what security measures such as PINs or multi-factor identification to unlock a device are put in place. Plus, what happens when an employee leaves the company, but the information is on their personal device, and the complex legalities of wiping a device that is technically owned by that former employee?

How about safety in the workplace? While it’s true that any phone has the ability to call emergency services like 911 for help, many enterprise devices have even more safety features built right in to summon help in the event of an emergency. From silent alarms to fall sensors that are all programmable according to company safety protocols, enterprise devices are better equipped for workplace safety than consumer devices.

And then there are the concerns around durability. Most consumer-grade devices require the purchase of an additional protective case. However, with an enterprise-grade device that was designed for harsh environments, such as Spectralink Versity, they are durable right out of the box, can survive drops, spills, extreme temperatures, and can withstand constant cleaning with hospital-grade disinfectants without the need for an additional case. And, the average lifespan of an enterprise device is considerably longer than that of a consumer solution. Plus, consumer devices require the entire phone to be taken out of use to be charged. However, with some enterprise-grade devices, like our Versity family of smartphones, the battery is charged separately. This means that you will spend less money on batteries and replacing broken devices with an enterprise device in the long run.

Additionally, there is the issue of inconsistency amongst the capabilities of consumer devices. Disparate technology in the hands of teammates may impede the ability to collaborate. And, as articulated by Cornell Mayer of the Alexander Group:

“Inconsistency in digital tools in an organization not only compromises consistency, in some circumstances when the phones ‘don’t sync, it can stop key messages from being received. This not only restricts resources, it also confuses processes, frustrates employees, and can throw projects off task”.

However, many companies that produce enterprise-grade devices have multiple options that are suitable for different types of workers and their needs on the job, with different price tags to match, so that you can put the right device into the hands of the right user at the right price point. Some of your employees may simply need crystal clear calling capabilities. In contrast, others need a robust operating system that is going to allow their employees to use advanced applications to do their jobs, while others require a built-in scanner for things like inventory or patient barcodes.

In the era of the “Great Resignation,” when many companies are severely understaffed, and employees are forced to perform multiple jobs, providing them with a leading, all-in-one, easy-to-use-and-carry solution to help them accomplish their tasks will help with job satisfaction and employee retainment, as well as improved patient and customer experiences.

With Spectralink, not only are our devices purpose-built for enterprise environments, but we have mixed-fleet capabilities to equip each user with the right device with the right features for their job. And, all of our phones feature the exceptional, industry-leading voice experience that consumer phones just don’t provide.

SpectraLink phonesThe Versity 92 is a robust, user-friendly, durable, and lightweight device that makes mobility work at any budget. It’s fully loaded with features, perfect for light application use, a superior alternative to a consumer-grade device, and UC-ready, it’s the best option to equip your entire workforce with an enterprise-grade smartphone.

Want to take your workforce smartphones to the next level? The fully-loaded and integrated Versity 95 is the ultimate enterprise-grade smartphone with zero downtime for rugged 24×7 environments that demand superior power and application functionality for communication, notification, documentation, information, and safety in hand anywhere on the job.

Looking for an option for your deskless workers that rely almost solely on voice communication? The 84 Series Feature phone supports leading SIP telephony and WLAN interoperability, providing access to a wide range of basic applications and simple text alerts.

If Wi-Fi isn’t an option, then we also have a range of DECT handsets specifically designed for key vertical markets such as healthcare (77 Series), manufacturing (76 Series), or retail (75 or 72 Series). Our DECT handsets have been designed with exactly the right feature sets and tools to help you do the things you need to – like the highest quality voice connections, backlit displays for dimly lit areas, panic button, two-way text messaging, and so much more.

And, with our revolutionary AMIE® mobility management dashboard, the burden on your IT and Telecomm teams of deploying, managing, and maintaining your phones is significantly reduced.

Spectralink makes it easy for you to supply your deskless workers with the right device. Contact our sales team to learn more about the right solution for the communication needs of your enterprise.

 

About the author:

Steph Lavallee is Spectralink’s Corporate Marketing Manager in North America. With years of communications and engagement experience, she brings creative writing expertise, social media experience, and valuable insights to market Spectralink’s world-class portfolio of enterprise mobility solutions.

Connect with Steph on LinkedIn!