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3 Tips for Saving Money on Mobile Data
As more people use their smartphones
more than phone calls, data usage -- otherwise known
surfing online -- is
the rise.
last year, major mobile carriers including AT&T and Verizon
stopped offering unlimited data plans to new subscribers, meaning the costs associated
increased data usage are
growing.
For small-business owners
are just getting started, paying
individual data plans for employees using smartphones and other web-enabled mobile devices can
expensive. As
as 54 percent of mobile budgets at smaller companies get eaten
by data plans,
to New York City-
research firm the Gerson Lehrman Group Inc.
Each mobile device a business owner pays
incurs its own, separate data charge, says Sanjeev Aggarwal, founder and managing partner
the SMB Group Inc., a Northborough, Mass.-based research firm specializing
technology. "Data charges start to add
fast," he says.
Here are three tips to keep in
for keeping data charges
a minimum for your business:
Related: Tips for Choosing the Right Smartphone for Your Business
1. Evaluate the mobile needs
your staff.
It might seem
a no-brainer, but before you hand
business smartphones to everyone
your team, determine if each person
in fact require a smartphone to do his or
job.
"Not every employee needs a smartphone. Some should
OK with using basic-feature phones
don't incur data charges," Aggarwal says.
The same logic applies
tablets. "A salesperson can benefit
having a tablet device for demos and reviewing proposals
clients," Aggarwal says. "An office manager or engineer might
."
2. Consider more data-friendly service plans.
many carriers don't offer unlimited data plans anymore, there
some plans that can be
attractive for heavy data users. For
, AT&T offers Toggle, a service that allows people to switch
personal and work modes
their mobile devices, effectively keeping personal data usage separate
business use.
Earlier this month, Verizon introduced "Share Everything" plans
allow subscribers to share a single data allowance
up to 10 mobile devices. Plans begin at 1 GB
$50 per month and
up to 10 GB for $100. Plans also
unlimited voice minutes, unlimited text, video and picture messaging.
3. Use Wi-Fi networks whenever possible.
sure that handsets used by your employees for business -- whether it is their personal device or was issued
you -- can access Wi-Fi networks. If your employees often use mobile devices
the office, have them log
your company Wi-Fi so that they aren't racking
data charges.
"You pay the subscription
your fixed broadband connection and router and that's
," says Windsor Holden, a research director
U.K.-based Juniper Research. The same goes
using secure Wi-Fi networks when on the road, he says.
Adapted and abridged from: entrepreneur.com, June 26, 2012.
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