Air Apparent: Could Wireless Be TEM's Crown Jewel?

all-inclusive, covering mobile policy development and enforcement, mobile contract negotiations, invoice processing and allocations, provisioning and fulfillment, inventory management (e.g., MACD), and over-the-air programming.

Rossini explained in addition to increasing security concerns, managing tax liabilities of mobile services also will fuel this market. With the market evolving to address these concerns, Rossini said companies that can select and employ TEM services “with an eye toward future mobile technologies and application requirements will be more likely to successfully manage the mobile explosion” currently taking place.

Adding Wireless to Your Coat of Arms

For agents, the growing market of wireless and/or mobility expense management is ripe for the picking. In fact, a recent enterprise survey conducted by Aberdeen Group found that more than half the respondents had not begun implementing a wireless expense management solution (see chart, Average Age of WEM Implementation).

Average Age of WEM Implementation

The rapid growth of the market and the proliferation of wireless devices should prompt agents to run to their customers’ aid. AOTMP found that 43 percent of enterprises said they do not have enough automation to manage their programs, and 36 percent of enterprises do not have the appropriate resources.

“Agents can gain by solving enterprises’ challenges,” said AOTMP’s Basili. “The professional services that help enterprises enforce policies and provide help desk support for users that need to remotely kill or disable the data on lost devices and remotely manage updates to applications help agents move from a model of one-time services to a recurring revenue model that addresses ongoing challenges of their enterprise customers.”

Tangoe’s Rossini said when agents move beyond selling devices and rates to their clients, and instead provide “services that surround the entire lifecycle of the mobile device, the ‘stickiness’ of services will be increased, leading to revenue and retention gains for the agent.”

Rossini warned that agents likely might face pushback from clients regarding the unpleasant perception of the fox watching the hen house. “But the reality is