Wireless Analytics Blog

Erik Eames, co-founder and CEO of Wireless Analytics, and I attended the 2017 TEMIA (Technology Expense Management Industry Association) spring summit in New Orleans last week. We were lucky enough to share and present what we’ve learned working in the managed mobility services industry. Being around so many leaders, I wanted to share with you 5 key takeaways that I had from TEMIA:

1) Our industry is changing:

Remember the good old days where an MMS saved you money on your bill -  and in return charged you a fee? Those days are very shortly going to be behind us. Coming to a carrier near you, shortly for a fixed price, you will be able to source an all-you-can-eat voice, text, and data plan. This means Wireless Analytics must embrace change and adopt a new business model for the future. WA will be focusing more on solutions to customers like order procurement, additional kitting, logistics projects, 3rd party solutions, and improved user experience.

2) We aren’t the only ones doing this:

“What we do is truly unique, right? There can’t be anyone out there that does what we do!” Honestly, that would be a false statement. At TEMIA, there were over 40 companies from our industry that in one way or another operate in a similar business model to WA. This means that day in and day out, WA must strive to provide a world-class experience. If we don’t, there are plenty of companies out there looking to win WA customers over for their business. So far, we still have the highest customer retention rate in the industry. However, we need to keep our eye on the ball.

3) Data is the future:

5G, Voice over LTE, OTA messaging… these are all terms that may or may not be familiar to the average person. Voice and messaging as we know it today are soon to be obsolete. The future is data-only connected devices that can push voice and messaging over the air via the data connection. This will greatly simplify carrier rate plans and allow the value proposition of WA to shift to more value-added services and solutions.

4) Connected devices are coming… maybe:

We’ve all heard that connected devices are the future, right? Smart watches, smart appliances, smart everything! IDC has predicted that by 2020 there will be 34 billion connected devices. While this may seem like a huge opportunity, they also point out that only 8% of those devices will be cellular enabled, the remaining 92% will be connected via WiFi. WA's value in user and device management is shifting along with the industry.

5) User experience is key:

Gone are the days of IT being the “bad guy” or the “sheriff in town”. A happy employee is a productive employee and embracing a positive user experience is the new normal. This could mean a new wave of BYOD, greater choice for CL devices, and much more. We are not only hearing this from others in the industry but from our clients as well during our quarterly business reviews. Are you doing the best you can to provide a positive user experience?

I hope this helps provide you some insight into the state of our industry and what the future holds for WA. Change is coming, but the future is bright! What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear what YOU think our future holds! Please share in the comments section below.