BYOD; The Good, The Bad, and The Divided

Almost as dramatic as the 1966 Clint Eastwood western (The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly) is the talk and opinions about the BYOD (Bring your own device) revolution. I think the lesson learned, as in the western, is to be ahead of the game… at least 10 steps ahead. As a business leader (perhaps CIO, entrepreneur, and otherwise), certainly knowing the benefits and risks of BYOD is key. For Telecom Agents, being knowledgeable is always profitable.

With the Smartphone/ iPhones, tablets, and laptops, people can do business any time, from anywhere. In fact tablets outsold PC’s or desktops last year. Website visits are coming from mobile users.

Similar to the Cloud, a business really needs to have a strategy in place before adopting BYOD practices, evaluating the pros and cons to determine (and deal with) security risks. Basically, the benefits must outweigh the risks.

The debates continue:

  • Employee
    chooses device versus controlling the types of devices and uses.
  • Going mobile versus chained to a desk.
  • More productive versus more risk.
  • Effectiveness versus costs of networks and other cost for usage.
  • Employee empowerment and choices versus lack of IT support

How to decide:

  1. First question is…’Is it doable?” Find out from a Telecom Agent at NW MAP if BYOD is manageable and appropriate for your business (type of business and/or size).
  2. Employee surveys- finding out who would use them and what they think about it. Some research has shown employees would accept a lower paying job if able to use their own devices.

How to do it:

  1. Talk to your Telecom Broker or Agent.
  2. The current thought and what many businesses are allowing is BYOD but with limited support. Issues with this is of course security but also employee satisfaction with limited support. Allowed with full IT support is optimal, but your choices are not allowing it, allowing with minimal support, allowing with full support, and allowing with no support.
  3. Check and evaluate network capacity. Most people using BYOD have 2-3 devices.
  4. Money! Realize BYOD will not eliminate costs, but rather place them in areas of support functions rather than devices.

With BYOD, it seems employee satisfaction varies – employees either love it or hate it. Truth is, companies want, no need, their employees to be connected, especially to what is
happening now…information and communication at the speed of light. Employers are equally on the fence as about 40% of companies allow it.

Contact a NW MAP Telecom Agent: https://nwmap.com/contact-us

 

With BYOD, it seems employee satisfaction varies – employees either love it or hate it. Truth is, companies want, no need, their employees to be connected, especially to what is
happening now…information and communication at the speed of light. We’ll see how it all unfolds.

Telecom Agents: Comcast Promotions 2012 Via NW MAP

NW MAP Carrier Promotions: Comcast
Happening NOW through 9/21/12. Agents can sell AND  get upfront money.

  •  PRI — $500 per deal

Both Fractional and
Full PRI’s qualify

      Min. 2 year agreement. Pay on Order
Acceptance

  • Metro-E — $700 per deal

 50 Mbps minimum

  All 4
Metro-Ethernet solutions qualify (EDI, ENS, EPL, EVPL)

 Minimum 3 year term

 Pay on Order Acceptance

 Comcast PRI and Metro E volumes continue to grow each month. Hopefully these promotions will help motivate everyone to continue getting the word out to the business community on Comcast’s capabilities in these areas.

For more information on
Comcast news, visit http://www.comcastdownload.com/

If you have any questions on the promos,
please contact your NW MAP representative: https://nwmap.com/contact-us

 

Notes on Success for the CIO, CEO, and Entrepreneur

I flipped open the latest issue of Success magazine and found some inspiring stories. I don’t usually read something like this because success seems elusive during tough times. Such a broad term. Everybody’s chasing after it, right? Just like the American Dream, does it even exist anymore? But I think what we need right now is exactly what I found in the magazine- inspiration. We’ve been in a recession and will be for a while, but innovation and re-invention seem to be key now. People who used to work for others are now working for themselves. Times are changing.

Reading through the editor’s note at the beginning I picked a quote that I enjoyed. “Now, because of technology, every ambitious individual has direct and immediate access to a global market of resources and customers.” (Darren Hardy- SUCCESS magazine Publisher and founding Editor). He also states technology as being the foremost reason for the current ‘entrepreneurial revolution’. Anybody and everybody can get ahead and really be in control of their professional destiny. Personally, I don’t have a 401k anymore but I do work for myself and do what I enjoy. Even Steve Jobs didn’t have it easy at the get-go…sleeping on his friend’s floors after he dropped out of college. The key is we’re desperate enough now and there really is opportunity for the right kind of person.

Another key to success is defining what success is to you personally. My definition is doing what I love. Yes, I’m one of those people who believes if I’m doing what I love, the money will follow. So far, so good. I also believe people should  consistently train for success. Find what motivates you- some people need money in their pockets and food on their table, others want freedom and power over their life. Research what gets you there. Take lessons from others who ARE there. Sometimes setting yourself up as your biggest competitor is a more rewarding challenge than always comparing yourself to the “other” competition and their numbers.  People who succeed felt they never had a choice otherwise.

After skimming some great articles in the latest Success issue, I realized inspiration and technology are our fighting chance in this economic climate. Use it to your advantage.

Written by: Contributing Blogger, L. Izett

Need extra money in your pocket? Contact NW MAP and learn how to be a Telecom Agent: https://nwmap.com/contact-us/become-an-agent

 

What do you Think of Cloud Computing Technology?

NW MAP has seen recent interests peak around the latest buzz…Cloud technology.

Related stories:

http://www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/born-again-cloud-advocates-finally-see-the-light-195596

http://www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/3-reasons-we-wont-see-cloud-api-standard-196056

http://www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/what-cloud-computing-really-means-031

http://www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/cloud-computing-moves-fad-foundation-197120

“Cloud computing services by definition enable resource sharing across multiple  data centers and other resources. This capability creates the opportunity to  reduce the peak capacity (measured in numbers of simultaneous active virtual  machines) of each data center down toward the average capacity of all data  centers. This is accomplished by using the network (cloud) to shift capacity  from highly utilized data centers to those with slack capacity….

Resource pooling using the cloud computing model also can be used to improve  service availability at lower cost by eliminating the need to build redundant  system elements into each data center. Network performance also is enhanced by  pooling resources to improve network accessibility and agility, and reduce  network latency and packet loss.”

Read more: Defining cloud computing services: benefits and caveats – FierceTelecom http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/defining-cloud-computing-services-benefits-and-caveats/2012-03-12#ixzz1ykuwA2q4

These are great sources for defining and learning about cloud technology. Telecom vendor events in 2012 are also highly focused on cloud computing and technology:

https://nwmap.com/2012-channel-partners-vegas-telecom-conference-and-expo-review

We’d like to know what you think of Cloud Computing. How do think it will effect businesses? Security or other issues concern you? Any general questions regarding this technology? For many  businesses it will prove quite useful and consumer savvy. It is for you? What do you think about it?

We want to know…

Meet NW MAP Agent Dan Kimball

At NW MAP our Agents are people we trust with our clients, people with expertise, and people who have similar goals and professional values to NW MAP as a business. We’d like to turn the spotlight over to some of our Agents and introduce them to you. After-all, many companies and clients conduct a lot of business online and it can be an extremely impersonal transaction. We’d like to make that experience a little more personal by giving our Agents a chance to introduce themselves here. NW MAP Telecom is not just another telecom business. We have to ensure our clients feel comfortable enough to contact us whenever they need assistance.

That being said, let’s meet one of the Agents: Dan Kimball

Dan’s professional Telecom past includes 15+ years in this business- several of those in management. Some of the places he has worked for are; At&T Wireless, Clearwire, and Rio Networks. Currently (and for the last 3+ yrs) he has been President/CEO of LucidTelecom, LLC, involving 1-10 employee operation in the Telecom industry. LucidTelecom is a consulting firm that provides the latest in telecommunications products and services (22+ carriers) from telephony to MPLS Fiber optics- basically cutting edge products at affordable prices.

On a personal note, Dan has been married for 18 years to his lovely wife with their 15 yr old son. They currently reside in Medford, OR. He is involved in a fundraiser for Vegas in the Valley event; The Hadley Hope Foundation for  Niemann-Pick disease, which is a rare, progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Patients with NPC disease typically present in early childhood with difficulty walking and progressive impairment of motor and intellectual function.

If you’d like to be an Agent for NW MAP Master Agent Program please contact us: https://nwmap.com/contact-us/become-an-agent