5 Best Practices for Smartphone Support THE ENTERPRISE GUIDE TO SMART SUPPORT FOR SMART DEVICES PRODUCED BY SPONSORED BY

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1 5 Best Practices for Smartphone Support THE ENTERPRISE GUIDE TO SMART SUPPORT FOR SMART DEVICES PRODUCED BY SPONSORED BY

2 5 Best Practices for Smartphone Support: The Enterprise Guide to Smart Support for Smart Devices A MOBILE ENTERPRISE WHITE PAPER This paper features real-world examples from US enterprises on how the benefits of keeping mobile devices functioning without interruption are felt on every level of business: customers receive the service they expect; end-users can work efficiently, enjoying the promised benefits of mobility; IT has its burden lightened, freeing up time for proactive work; and the CFO can look forward to the results of effective mobility and a low TCO. What s Driving Growth Demand for smartphones continues to increase. Worldwide shipments reached a high of nearly 40 million units in the third quarter of 2008, as countless cell phone users converted to smartphones, helping to grow the category by 28% from the same quarter last year. i Innovative smartphone designs with more user-intuitive features, such as touchscreens, as well as widespread rollouts of 3G networks their speeds dramatically improving the experience of using mobile browsers and applications are largely driving public interest in smartphones. In the enterprise, smartphones have been must-haves for years, streamlining business processes with instant access to valuable information. But with increased speeds and functionality, never before have they been so integral to competitiveness boosting productivity and increasing efficiencies, particularly during these budget-slimming times and IT departments are feeling increased pressure to mobilize still more applications. In a survey by research firm J. Gold & Associates, the majority of companies interviewed had three different mobile initiatives underway. The firm further predicts a 71% increase in smartphone access to corporate applications over the next year, and a 200% increase in smartphone adoption over the next three years. ii State of the Workplace These days of smartphone proliferation also coincide with the mixing of generations X and Y in the workplace. Born in the 80s and 90s, Generation Y has an easy relationship with technology, which has bred expectations of always-on access and instant problem resolution. While Generation X still the majority of today s workforce generally requires a bit more hand-holding on the technology front. The enterprise reality of deploying smartphones today is that IT needs to support them in ways that cater to all types of users. In an Aberdeen Group survey, 57% of responders listed mobile device support as a top priority. And while many businesses are aware of the increasing numbers of smartphones accessing the data from within and outside their walls, too few are putting corresponding support policies and expertise into place. In The Real Cost of Wireless Mobility, Aberdeen Group reports that Forwardlooking enterprises are proving every day that a new category of mobile device support solutions can help maintain employee productivity and lower overall costs. 44% of enterprises have no formal program in place for managing wireless mobility, and that enterprises are generally struggling to provide helpdesk support and data security for mobile devices. iii 2 i Canalys. Nov. 8, ii Enterprise Mobile Applications: A Study of Strategies and Adoption Trends, J. Gold & Associates, 2008.

3 However, forward-looking enterprises such as NuStar Energy and Palm Valley Healthcare, whose successes are detailed later in this paper are proving every day that a new category of mobile device support solutions can help maintain employee productivity and lower overall costs, with benefits extending to improved security practices, greater worker retention, reduced downtime and more hassle-free issue resolution. What follows is a practical guide for IT managers working to oversee corporate-sponsored smartphones, while facing an influx of devices that workers are purchasing to access corporate data. The best practices offered below will help to streamline IT s time, budget and the support it offers to keep end-users working effectively and successfully. 5 Best Practices for Smartphone Support While most companies are anticipating increased numbers of mobile devices too few are putting corresponding support policies and expertise into place. 1. STANDARDIZE ON A SINGLE PLATFORM FOR COMPANY-ISSUED DEVICES. Aberdeen Group research shows that wireless services and devices cost nearly ten times more to manage than their wireline counterparts. By consolidating to a single carrier and device platform (whether Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Symbian OS TM, etc.), IT can better stay on top of mobility costs and reduce unnecessary spending. For example, Aberdeen found that 65% of the enterprise executives it interviewed used wireless plans with fixed monthly minutes; while such plans are beneficial for general consumers, they re a poor fit for enterprises, which are better served by pooled-minute plans, made possible by large groups of employees who balance out each other s spikes and dips in usage. Individual contracts also accrue fees 45% of the time for exceeding minute allotments, reports Aberdeen, undercutting anticipated savings. Standardizing on a single device platform can also help reduce support costs and the burden on IT staff. The fewer types of contracts and warranties IT has to manage, the more time and money it can save. An IT department that can concentrate its efforts will function more efficiently and effectively, and the benefits of this will be felt throughout the enterprise. 2. ESTABLISH CLEAR SUPPORT POLICIES. You wouldn t start a business without a strategy in place, and neither should you buy or support devices piecemeal. This can potentially waste time, waste money, create security vulnerabilities and leave holes in the quality and consistency of IT services. To better support mobile workers as well as to receive the full return on a mobility investment establish clear support policies about which company-issued and user-owned smartphones your enterprise supports. Clear policies will also prevent the too-common scenario of IT being overrun with various devices purchased by employees who then expect the device to be supported (high-level executives are notorious for wanting to be the exceptions to the rules). iii The Real Cost of Wireless Mobility, Aberdeen Group, Jan. 2007, p. 3. 3

4 5 Best Practices for Smartphone Support: The Enterprise Guide to Smart Support for Smart Devices A MOBILE ENTERPRISE WHITE PAPER Define exactly which devices, applications and departments will be supported and to what degree, and then strictly enforce these decisions (for example, by defining permissions at a granular level, which can prevent support from being offered to unapproved devices). With clear, enforceable policies in place, IT budgets and attention can focus on deploying and supporting the best solutions for the needs of the whole. 3. IMPLEMENT BEST-OF-BREED SUPPORT SOLUTIONS. For large fleets of devices in particular, the most effectual support structure an enterprise can adopt is the combination of a mobile device management LogMeIn Rescue+Mobile simulates the remote device locally for fast, easy smartphone support. (MDM) solution that offers one-to-many management capabilities, such as the RIM BlackBerry Enterprise Server, as well as a one-to-one remote support solution for quick ad-hoc user support on-demand, such as LogMeIn Rescue+Mobile. The MDM solution can work to prevent anticipated problems for large numbers of devices by proactively pushing out application updates, security patches and other fixes, resolving issues proactively. Research firm IDC confirms the importance of proactive support to the bottom line, explaining in a recent report: Individual product life spans are 12 to 18 months, and margins can be easily eroded by service or support calls Even a low-touch interaction volume with one customer segment regarding one device is enough to negate any profits gained. iv With the ability to simulate a remote device and see exactly what the user sees, technicians can interact directly with the device instead of the user. For deployments of all sizes, a feature-rich support solution that offers a one-to-one connection between a technician and the end user is ideal for resolving more unpredictable problems, such as removing a new virus or resolving a user-created glitch issues infinitely more difficult to address on an out-of-sight device than an in-office desktop. With technician-side features such as the ability to simulate a user s device and see exactly what they see, technicians can interact directly with the device instead of the user a great help when a problem is too technical for a user to explain, or when language or accent differences may cause confusion on either end; in such instances, chat functionality in the support interface can also speed resolution and ease frustration. Being able to simulate multiple mobile platforms is also helpful in cases where standardizing on a single device, while most efficient, isn t feasible or entirely practical or for supporting those rogue devices that inevitably pop up. 4 iv Recognizing the Optimization of a Mobile Operator s Customer Care Organization through the Deployment of Mobile Device Management, IDC, February 2008, p. 3.

5 One-to-one remote interaction, particularly where the technician s visibility extends to all of the user s devices, is also a great tool for broader platform support. Synchronization between a user s smartphone and desktop, for example a common support call issue can be very quickly addressed. And as new mobile applications are made available, one-to-one capabilities are an ideal training tool. The ability to walk a remote user through the features of a new application will increase that user s productivity and reduce future call volume. Mobilizing applications is a great coup to business processes whether equipping sales teams with up-to-the-moment numbers or providing field service workers with scheduling and real-time parts availability and a strong support tool will help guard against erosion to the expected benefits of these initiatives. 4. CENTRALIZE YOUR HELPDESK SERVICES FOR ALL DEVICES. Having a single point of contact for support, whether for application or device questions, will improve first-call resolution rates and end-user satisfaction. Remote, hassle-free access to support also makes users more likely to report smaller issues they might otherwise work around not wanting to waste time sitting in the IT office or on a phone queue and which slowly leech away productivity. Additionally, when IT has a centralized view across all of a worker s devices (smartphone, laptop, desktop), it s much simpler to pinpoint the source of a problem. This type of streamlined support additionally enables technicians to automate routine tasks, such as remotely installing a printer. CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY: NuStar Energy NuStar Energy, an asphalt refiner that saw profits of $3.8 billion in the first nine months of this year, recently turned to a smartphone support solution (Rescue+Mobile from LogMeIn) to help its team of six IT members support 1,600 employees worldwide. Among the features the team now enjoys is the ability to access desktops and laptops as well as smartphones, says NuStar Energy s information systems specialist, Walter Thompson. It s now possible for an IT member to see on his own desktop each of a user s remote devices, which makes it simpler to diagnose issues without having to rely on the end-user s description of a problem. Additionally, says Thompson, IT can now more quickly help users with their , passwords, adding new folders, transferring files, and other common issues which has shortened call times considerably. 5. WHEN CHOOSING A SUPPORT SOLUTION, LOOK FOR CAPABILITIES THAT MAKE SUPPORT QUICK AND SIMPLE FOR BOTH IT AND END-USERS. Device downtime is quickly followed by dollar losses. A VDC Research Group report about the TCO of mobile computing and communications states, Mobile device end users lost an average of 75 minutes of productivity each time the device failed, a number that can translate, it goes on to say, to as much as $4,000 in lost revenues per employee, per year. v v Total Cost of Ownership (TCO Models for Mobile Computing and Communications Platforms, VDC Research Group, Mobile and Wireless Practice, July 2007, p. 2. 5

6 5 Best Practices for Smartphone Support: The Enterprise Guide to Smart Support for Smart Devices A MOBILE ENTERPRISE WHITE PAPER When choosing a mobile device support solution, look for capabilities that can help speed resolution time. These include: A tool optimized for one-to-one support of remote smartphones and computers on-demand without pre-deployed software or IP or firewall concerns. The ability for IT to simulate the exact device a user asks for help with, and through the simulation control the user s device remotely and in real time. End-to-end remote access to all user devices, including smartphones, laptops and desktops, with the ability to troubleshoot more complex issues, such as sync. Tools that add clarity to end-user training, such as laser pointer or white board functionality. The ability to set up and provision new devices remotely, or to clear password-protected devices. The ability to start, stop, save and force screen recordings of support sessions, which can be played back and forwarded to others. The ability for a user to log in to an online support queue, go about their day and return to a fixed device (rather than waiting on hold in a phone queue and suspending all other work). Alerts that tell a technician when a new user has entered the support queue, as well as user-side updates that offer visibility into the support process, such as noting that a technician is logged in, or will be available shortly, or the specific tasks he or she is currently performing to connect to the user s device. The ability for IT to see the user s screen as the user sees it, reducing user involvement in troubleshooting. Support scenarios have for too long been backward, but the right support solution can reverse this: Instead of users resolving IT issues, IT can get back to resolving user issues. CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY: Palm Valley Health Care Palm Valley Health Care is a strong example of an enterprise that deployed a one-to-one support solution to the benefit of both end-users and IT staff. A home healthcare company with 200 field nurses, it employs LogMeIn Rescue+Mobile to support the Pocket PCs its nurses travel with. Previously, because 90% of the nurses have very little technical experience, even a simple device issue could interrupt the nurses schedules as well as those of their clients forcing them to waste time and gas driving into the office for help. Today, however, IT can instantly access each user s Pocket PC, take control of the screen to troubleshoot (relieving the nurses of that stress and responsibility) and quickly resolve problems. Nurses now spend more time with their patients and less time worrying about their devices and troubleshooting issues. And because the nurses can see what IT is doing on-screen (a capability they didn t have before LogMeIn Rescue+Mobile), with each remote session they re learning how to avoid certain problems in the future. Thanks to these just-in-time training sessions, nurses are now more familiar and comfortable with their devices, and are taking fuller advantage of available features. Palm Valley Health Care believes that fast, easy device support has helped the nurses productivity as well as their overall work experience (a large factor in employee retention). And finally, because trouble-shooting is now performed so quickly, Palm Valley Health Care has seen support call volume drop by at least half, from 30 calls a day down to 15 or as low as 10. 6

7 In Conclusion Technology reduces the costs to manage wireless mobility, confirms Aberdeen Group. vi To realize the benefits, couple a smartphone investment with a smart support solution and follow best practices: standardize mobile devices to reduce wasteful spending; set and enforce mobile support policies for greater security and efficiency; deploy a best-of-breed mobile device support solution to bolster both employees and your investment; centralize your support services for greatest efficiency; and take advantage of available capabilities that will make your mobile investment work harder for you, delivering a competitive edge through reduced downtime and heightened productivity. Is your enterprise in need of smarter mobile support? Considering the following three questions can help to guide your next steps: Are technical problems a top productivity killer for my smartphone-equipped workers? How much do I pay for each smartphone service call, in terms of time and dollars? Is there a simpler, less costly or more secure option than what I m currently using? The one-to-one support features and services described in this whitepaper are all available with LogMeIn s award-winning Rescue+Mobile solution. A free 14-day trial, available at offers the opportunity to experience a smartphone support solution first-hand, and to better inform yourself about a solution that s right for your enterprise. + GUIDING Questions Are technical problems a top productivity killer for my smartphone-equipped workers? How much do I pay for each smartphone service call, in terms of time and dollars? Is there a simpler, less costly or more secure option than what I m currently using? vi The Real Cost of Wireless Mobility, Aberdeen Group, Jan. 2007, p. 3. LogMeIn, LogMeIn Rescue, and LogMeIn Rescue+Mobile and the other denoted terms in this paper are the trademarks and service marks of LogMeIn, Inc., and may be registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners. This paper contains the trademarks and service marks of third parties and such trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. These marks may be registered and/or used in the U.S. and other countries around the world. These third party marks include, but are not limited to, Blackberry, Windows, Windows Mobile, Symbian and related trademarks, names and logos. These third party marks are the property of Research In Motion Limited, Microsoft Corporation and Symbian Software Limited respectively, and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and other countries around the world. This paper is sponsored by LogMeIn, Inc. and authored by Mobile Enterprise. The statements herein are the result of research by and the conclusions of Mobile Enterprise. 7

8 About Mobile Enterprise Mobile Enterprise brings you wireless solutions from the C-suite to the field. Through trend stories, case studies and research, Mobile Enterprise covers the full range of the mobile workforce, from wireless infrastructure to machine-to-machine communications. From supply chain and logistics solutions to mobile customer relationship management. From the rugged wireless devices used in the harshest environments to the sleekest smartphones seen in the finest corporate boardrooms. Mobile Enterprise takes our readers beyond the solutions themselves, to examine the processes and strategies involved in mobilizing your workforce, managing mobile devices and infrastructure and ensuring a secure environment. Through print, online and electronic publications, Web seminars, podcasts, White Papers and live events, everything we do is designed to feed the mobile decision-maker s need for real-world information about the strategies, processes and solutions that are working today and are on the horizon for the future. For more information, visit PRODUCED BY SPONSORED BY