The wild and wooly world of wireless service management is eating enterprises alive at the moment. According to a report released by Gartner this week, approximately 80 percent of enterprises will overspend on wireless services by an average of 15 percent for the next five years.
While that’s bad news for some, it is a great opportunity for channel partners who can figure out how to help their customers manage and optimize their wireless services.
“Our research shows that the majority of companies are not adequately managing their mobile users or services,” said Phil Redman, research vice president at Gartner, in a statement about the report. “They need to look more closely at their key user segments and requirements in order to match those needs with the right services and optimize their spending.”
The management of mobility costs is evolving into an increasingly complex task as the number of devices, applications and services multiply within enterprise environments. A recent report from Indianapolis-based AOTMP, a telecom and IT research firm, found that from April 2008 to April 2009 the number of mobile applications running in enterprises increased by 50 percent.
According to a study released by ABI Research last year, the mobility management services market is expected to reach $20 billion by 2013—no surprise considering that ABI has found that management services can offer enterprises 30 to 60 percent cost savings.
At the moment, though, many enterprises are still frustrated with the mobility management landscape due to the chaos of rapid growth and innovation. As the market bubbles up, resellers and integrators may have a unique opportunity to add value for enterprises by offering a level of cohesion and clarity in delivery of services and tools.
“Suppliers offer a variety of capabilities within the scope of Wireless Mobility Management,” Scott Lawrence wrote in a May 2009 AOTMP report on the market. “Differences in capabilities between suppliers often create confusion for enterprises seeking the best overall solution; differentiation can be challenging.”
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