The market opportunity for telecommunications and managed service providers to lease smart devices to their customers is significant and multi-faceted.
Leasing smart devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, smart TVs and set top boxes, allows telcos and other service providers to generate additional revenue streams beyond traditional subscription services. By offering leased device bundled as part of their service packages, telcos can attract more customers and increase broadband usage. In parallel, leasing smart devices can create valuable competitive advantages for the service provider and extend the customer lifetime, while creating both upsell and partnership opportunities.
After deploying the smart devices for customers, the service provider remains the primary stakeholder responsible for the lifecycle of device fleets leased to customers, according Nadav Avni, Chief Marketing Officer at device management platform company Radix Technologies.
Avni recommends that service providers rely on Android device management software to streamline the management, maintenance and security of their fleets of leased devices. He emphasizes that remote connectivity is one of the keys for efficient Android device management.
Simplifying device enrolment and provisioning
Avni explains that remote connectivity along with other Cloud technologies allows a service provider’s IT administrators to simplify the onboarding process for new devices and apply preconfigured device settings and policies. Remote connectivity also streamlines the provisioning of new units for subscribers, eliminating the need for dispatch technicians for device deployments and routine maintenance. IT administrators can also leverage remote access for ongoing monitoring of device health, performing routine maintenance and applying security measures.
Centralised management and remote control
Another benefit of remote connectivity for an Android device management platform is the ability for a service provider to keep its fleet of leased devices continually up-to-date with the latest patches, fixes and updates, highlights Avni. Instead of relying on users to perform these important tasks, a service provider’s IT administrators can centrally initiate these updates on their device management platform. For troubleshooting and resolving technical issues, IT support can remotely take over a subscriber’s device to diagnose a problem and apply necessary fixes, which is significantly less expensive than dispatching a technician to the customer’s premise.
Automating security and compliance measures
Avni further explains that an Android device management software platform can also bring an added dimension for improving the security and compliance posture of both the service provider and its subscribers as well as the leased devices. Many security and compliance measures, notes Avni, can be managed on a centralized device management platform, which is much less risky than relying on individual subscribers to apply these measures.
Examples of security and compliance measures that can be centrally managed through device management software include enforcing strict password protocols, applying strong encryption methods for data transmission, disabling devices during security breaches and wiping data if a device has been stolen.
Better app and content distribution
The installation of applications on leased devices and their version updates can also be simplified if handled through a centralized Android device management software platform, according to Avni. He notes that a service provider can store popular mobile and smart TV apps, such as those for content streaming and social networking, providing subscribers with easy access for downloading and updating. Likewise, a service provider can leverage a device management platform to perform critical app updates across multiple devices or even an entire fleet of leased devices.
Avni concludes that overall investing in Android device management software helps service providers ensure that leased devices are properly managed, maintained and secured throughout their lifespans. For the service provider, this can lead to increased revenues, valuable competitive advantages and more loyal customers.
