As the Cell Phones Turns 40, Confusion Still Reigns

It was 40 years ago this week when Motorola’s Martin Cooper made the world’s first cell phone call. "People want to talk to other people -- not a house, or an office, or a car. Given a choice, people will demand the freedom to communicate wherever they are, unfettered by the infamous copper wire."

Now there are over 1 Billion of them worldwide. Today’s mobile devices are even smarter than the computers that put men on the moon. We have smartphones that are not only stereo- quality entertainment systems but also ‘Dick Tracy’ smart at knowing where you are and what’s around you at any point in time. We have mobile devices pretending to be tablets and tablets trying to be smartphones. Apple is rumoured to be announcing a Dick Tracey-like cell watch where you can watch TV and movies, play games and –of course- actually phone someone.

But what is getting more and more confusing are mobile contracts being offered by carriers and the thousands of applications available. It’s difficult getting a handle on comparable packages as the carriers ‘bundle’ the device with specific feature packages that are all different. For example, Blackberry has subsidized their newly launched Z10 at a price below Apple, Samsung and Nokia smartphones. And the price of Samsung’s popular Galaxy 3S, which made its debut less than a year ago, is now slashed to $0 for 3 year terms by all three major carriers since the S4 was launched last month. As for applications, there are over a million Apple, Blackberry and Android apps made for these devices.

We help you avoid the confusion and in cost justifying your investment by looking at the device, network and application when calculating your ROI. The mobile devices include not only the physical equipment but also the yearly maintenance and service costs. The network should include all the wireless charges of the service provider (again, their contracts are historically difficult to decipher but necessary). And the applications should be inclusive of training and support. Careful analysis of all these costs will ensure a proper ROI for your company.

After 40 years of cell development, almost everyone on the planet has a mobile device. For businesses, it’s still very difficult to understand all the costs when looking at ways to improve communication and collaboration for employees. Just as a computer needs applications to deliver results, it’s the same with the new mobile devices out in the market today. We help you do business better by providing costing alternatives and recommendations best suited to your business no matter what mobile device, carrier and applications you ultimately decide on.