Best Practice Advice on Renewing Business Mobiles

In this article we provide helpful advice on how you can get the best deal on your business mobiles. we cover: 

• How networks have evolved in the last five years >
• Why loyalty is no longer rewarded >
• How to equip your mobile workforce without compromising security >

Did you know that almost half of UK businesses are spending more than twice what they should be on their mobile contracts? Our top advice would be - treat your business mobiles the same way you would treat your car insurance; chances are you'll get the best deal when you shop around.

However, based on what customers are telling us, there are a few reasons why many of us are not as proactive as they could be. Choosing not to renew mobile contracts often means you cannot secure a more suitable package tailored to your people's usage. Some of the reasons we hear include:

• Moving mobile numbers

"It is too risky and time-consuming."

• Logistics of changing devices

"In the current climate, it is almost impossible to do without a hiccup and losing any company data."

• Poor network coverage

"My coverage won't be any good on another network - years ago, we were on that network, and their coverage was poor."

• Better the devil, you know

"They understand our business needs, and the current deal is the most cost-effective and suits what we need."

• I have no time to look into our mobile bills.

"I am too busy, so I just trust I am on the best deal."

Comparing networks

The truth is that the perceived risk of moving providers is quite often unfounded. It stems back to past personal experiences when switching meant you had to give notice and wait days for one service to end and another to begin, quite often resulting in a loss of service for some time.

Furthermore, in 2013 the root metrics report showed that the overall top network performance scored 84.6 out of 100 points and the lowest 52.4. Compared with the results in 2020, 85.4 was the lowest score and the highest was 94.2, showing just how advanced each network provider has become.

"Each network is spending more than £1.4 Billion to offer 5G capability and has an even share in the market."

- Rootmetrics

Loyalty is no longer rewarded in this sector

Suppliers across all industries offer different incentives to entice you to switch, and the mobile world is no different. Many of those value-add services are only available to "new customers". Each provider brings new innovative ideas to the table - unlimited data plans, spend caps, flexible contract terms, co-terminus agreements, scalable data solutions, data rollover, roaming packages, entertainment packages like Netflix or Spotify. As a loyal existing customer, what was once a tremendously cost-effective solution, is, in comparison, now a poor deal and does not offer you any flexibility, save guard your business from bill shock or future proof your workforce (5G).

A mobile worker won't necessarily need the minutes on their plan

In 2019, Ofcom research showed that a quarter of people made less than five calls per month, and 6% are not making any mobile calls at all. In the unlikely event of a network issue during a port, WIFI works as an excellent fix for downtime. Since the integration of Zoom / Teams for business, Whatsapp, emails, company portals, it is no longer business-critical to be contactable by a phone number. With the advances of network systems and the tightening of Ofcom regulations, fixes are much easier to identify and rarely have any business impact.

Out of date devices increase security risk

Businesses that are not renewing a mobile contract will likely result in users not refreshing their devices. Out of 274 different devices compared, 52% no longer received security updates. That means the user is less efficient and that the device's security is compromised, leaving your business data exposed to phishing and ransomware attacks. Since transferring data from one device to another is seamless with IOS and Android's cloud capabilities, including switching between operating systems, we would recommend updating, patching and upgrading your devices every two to three years.

Why partner with a vendor-agnostic supplier

At Chess, we have top tier network partner relationships with O2, EE and Vodafone, enabling us to secure the best possible rates and ensure that your plan is cost-effective and works for your diverse workforce (not the other way around). Our team don't have network-specific targets, which means they will offer you a genuinely consultative service that is right for your business. If you want to stay on your existing network but don't want to change SIMs or change devices, we can create a bespoke solution suitable for you in today's new way of working. Happy to move provider? Our project management team will create the entire migration plan before we hit the switch button, and a dedicated project manager will be there to support you along the way.

We only work with the best and leading suppliers in our industry to help you work better together, protect your devices, connect your people, grow your business, and reduce costs.