In these uncertain times, we’re all aware of the crunch our economy is facing. We’re all being told to watch our spend and businesses are really starting to examine ways to do that; and mobile data costs are no different.

In the traditional office environment, managing mobile connectivity and data use was not such a serious issue for IT managers, as data costs were essentially a part of the overall fixed network spend. But with the “new normal”, where more people are working remotely, it is proving to be quite a challenge.

With more companies looking for simple yet ingenious ways for their employees to conduct business independently, it is proving essential to control and better manage mobile data costs.

Companies need to be able to scale up and scale down at the drop of a hat and as and when the environment changes. Staying flexible when it comes to mobile network choices, Sim types and data spend commitments are key.

Business prepaid

One option lies in prepaid mobile data. But isn’t prepaid more expensive and a nightmare to control? No, not if companies have online platforms such as SIMcontrol to easily manage prepaid and top-up Sim cards from all mobile networks at scale. And here’s why:

Cut the shock
Monthly post-billed corporate accounts are not designed to effectively manage costs. By the time you have received the bill it is too late to make any changes. By having a day-by-day view of mobile spend across the entire Sim base, you can ensure there are no more nasty surprises or bill shock.

Cut the cloth
Being able to choose and change how much data to load to each Sim allows companies to dynamically adjust what they spend as they go along. As different applications and devices have different data needs, “build your own” packages can be tailored on a Sim level and can be tweaked to optimise spend. Recent Icasa data rulings have also made prepaid data pricing very competitive, especially on larger bundles.

Cut the terms
Long-term contractual commitments do not give companies the flexibility they need in current times. What often happens is that despite a Sim not being needed anymore, companies find themselves stuck with the cost for the remainder of the contract period. Businesses should be able to use Sims as needed, or for specific projects, without suffering contract penalties.

Shift responsibility to the user
A growing trend is for companies to stop trying to control what employees spend data on — often a futile and expensive exercise — but rather to give them enough data to do their job and allow them to buy more if they want for personal use. This, coupled with growing BYOD approaches sees companies moving away from the big corporate contract model, shifting responsibility and risk to the employees themselves. On prepaid or top-up Sims, employees can buy additional data bundles through any channel themselves.

The beauty of business prepaid lies in its simplicity – there are no surprises, it is totally flexible and you get what you pay for. You can also choose from any mobile network that suits your employees best. The growth of prepaid data in South Africa is legendary — a trend also being seen in business Sim management.

Without a proper management platform, prepaid and top-up Sim management can be tricky for businesses. The online SIMcontrol platform from Flickswitch gives organisations a management and control layer for data and voice Sims from all major mobile networks at scale. It also offers IoT connectivity options such as managed APN and global roaming SIMs.

Getting on top of mobile data spend while staying flexible will be important for companies in the “new normal”.

For more information please visit www.simcontrol.co.za.