Upon learning that her elderly grandfather had just passed away, Katie went directly to her grandparents’ home to visit her ninety-five-year-old grandmother to comfort her. When he asked how his grandfather had died, his grandmother replied, “He had a heart attack while we were making love on Sunday morning.” Horrified, Katie told her grandmother that two people in their almost 100s who were having sex would surely be looking for trouble.
“Oh no, dear,” Grandma replied. “Many years ago, realizing our advanced age, we figured the best time to do it was when the church bells started ringing. It was the right rhythm. Nothing too strenuous, just in the Ding and out of the Dong.” He paused to wipe a tear and continued: “He would still be alive if the ice cream truck hadn’t shown up.”
So what does the above have to do with choosing the right mobile phone?
It’s about getting it right. Mobile phones are an integral part of our business life, with which you have the ability to communicate with all parts of the world. You can make every member of your organization your ambassador, creating new paths to market. Therefore, choosing the right mobile platform for your business should be considered wisely.
Over the years, I have worked with companies where teams used five or six different types of cell phones, which is a good individual pick when choosing a cell phone is one way to go. But then there are all the ancillary bits that come with phones: various power cords, charging systems, cases, different applications on the interface, lens quality, and methods for storing data and information.
Who has not shouted on the floor of a workplace: “Who has a Nokia charger?” And that’s the day that everyone who came to the office despite the train strike has an iPhone. So there is a case for a company to have their entire team use the same mobile phone / platform.
Mobile phones can make your business life a pittance or they can be sheer joy. The wrong phone and the wrong kind of contract can add gray to your temples faster than any old lady. So which mobile phone is best for business use? A platform that works for one company may not be compatible with another, but you know that, right?
Can you take it too far? A company once told me that they didn’t just want the same phone, the same color, and the same memory capacity. And that all the applications also had to be in the same place. Wow, that has to be the Hilton Hotel of cell phone interfaces. I can see your point, the reason is that each and every member of the company knew exactly how to use the phone; the company basically had eighty-nine experts all on the same phone.
So if someone were to say, “Where is the app for futures markets?” for example, I can tell you now that the app was top left, two bottom. The shorthand of the mobile phone interface is a good thing, but we like to give them our own character. For example: my Skype application is in the right place, right side two up; this is the length of my right thumb and I can access the weather app from here. I will have it here. Or how the green of my travel app looks pretty good next to the red and white of the You Tube app, all technical aspects.
BOOM, it’s out the door and I will take all the phones we have and exchange them for a massive order of iPhone 7. No; hold your mobile phone until you die. Keep using the phone until it cannot be repaired or there are no more updates for the platform it is on. Then when it’s ready, give it to your kids or a charity (WWF is a good option).
Tips for when your contract date approaches:
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Consider this: when it comes to contract termination, make a list of the things you want from your mobile phone; Make sure the mobile phone platform (iOS, Android, etc.) suits your needs and not the other way around.
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Don’t sign a mobile phone contract just because the iPhone 7 looked good on the tube poster. What is better for the business, the smartphone or the dumb phone? It is difficult to download a malicious application on your company network via smartphone.
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Some industries and government institutions only require dumb phones, for security reasons, without a camera and are substantially cheaper.
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Pricing: What is the best value for the company: a two- or three-year contract? What length fits with your staffing or expansion plans?
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Right before updating your phones, will everything sync? Check if moving mobile platforms will create electronic dead ends in your office.
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If you decide that the grass is greener and you are going to switch to another deck, it is not too difficult, it just requires careful planning. There are many applications and the cloud to help you exchange information carefully.
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And finally, if your mobile phone has bells and whistles, make sure they don’t all ring at the same time. You want to get to ninety-six, right?