Bring your own device is no longer optional for many employees. According to Gartner, well over half of employees use their own devices for work. Gartner goes on to predict that by 2017, half of employers will require employees to provide their own devices for work.

Businesses want the increased productivity mobile computing enables, and employees enjoy the comfort of working on their own preferred devices. But technology doesn’t always run smoothly, whatever the platform, and employees working on mobile devices will sometimes need support to access corporate resources.

That’s a challenge for corporate help desks that are already overloaded supporting desktop users. It’s impossible for the support team to be experts on every model smartphone out there, particularly combined with all possible versions of every mobile operating system.

Mobile Support Begins With Provisioning

Companies need to create a BYOD policy that defines the allowable usage of personal devices on the company network. Once policies are in place, implementing smooth support begins with creating a streamlined provisioning process that allows new devices to be configured to easily connect to the network and necessary applications.

Mobile Device Management software helps with device management, plus offers additional security controls to protect the applications, the network, and the data accessed by the device. Users should have a role-based mobile profile that quickly identifies the mobile apps to be installed on their device from the company app store. Creating a self-service provisioning process reduces the support an employee needs just getting started.

Beyond that initial configuration, users need help when they have problems accessing company applications. Companies can support self-help through social platforms and chat channels to allow users to share tips and advice on working through issues on specific devices.

When self-help fails, employees need to turn to the help desk for enhanced support. In order to provide effective support, the help desk needs to be able to check the device, install needed apps, and verify or modify configuration settings. The support desk needs to be able to address hardware issues, network issues, and specific application issues. The capabilities available to the support team will vary depending on the mobile operating system and device.

Use a Professional Mobile Support Team

There are tools that provide assistance for mobile support, but because of the many possible devices employees can choose, it’s not usually cost effective for a company to purchase tools that cover all potential platforms. Companies can find help by working with firms that specialize in mobile support.

Prescient Solutions can help companies define their BYOD policy and put in place the tools to make it effective. Prescient Solutions goes beyond addressing the technical challenges to help our clients integrate mobile technology with their business strategy. We’ve worked with our customers to allow the remote access enabled by mobile devices to create new work processes that enhance the corporate bottom line.

Contact us to learn how our mobile support services support employees’ devices and your business goals.