Guest post by Brad Sams, senior news editor for Neowin.net.
Something that happens a lot within the technology industry is consumers and corporations ask a simple question: “What can this new technology do for me?” When Verizon showed off its new 4G based on LTE, everyone was excited. Finally we would have true broadband speeds everywhere. The future is here! But what benefits does the new network truly offer to those on the corporate side of the coin, and how can we leverage this technology to make better decisions, save money, or communicate more efficiently?
If you can find a solution that combines saving money and process efficiency, you have found the magic bullet that companies are willing to buy into. The magic bullet in this case is 4G from Verizon, as it can satisfy the need to save money, but can also increase productivity on the road.
The key for corporations with 4G is the mobile office is now as effective as the local office. While 3G was a fantastic start to removing the barriers of working in the field, it had its limitations. If you have large files to transfer, it would take considerable amount of time and it was not possible to simultaneously transfer and continue to work over 3G in a way that was a productive use of time. But this all changes with 4G. With speeds far surpassing 3G, transferring files is not a barrier for the employee.
Now, the big question is: How can 4G have a positive impact on the bottom line? If you think about how often employees in the field need connectivity, you can start to get a better understanding of how 4G can save a corporation cold hard cash.
Previously, a 3G connection was only effective for one employee to use. Sure there are devices that allow you to share the connection, but when splitting 3G connection between five individuals, the speeds create a barrier to productivity that is hard to overcome. Because of this, quite often you would see each employee using their own 3G connections, which results in multiple accounts needed. But with 4G speeds being far superior to those of 3G, you can easily share one connection among multiple users.
When you factor in that coworkers accompany most employees who work in the field, you now only need one connection for up to five individuals. If you currently have three employees who work together in the field, each with their own 3G connection, you can now replace those three accounts with one 4G device. This simple upgrade cuts the costs by one-third, and this revelation is impacting the way businesses view mobile offices.
By reducing the amount of overhead per employee in the field, that money is now being invested in other technologies, now that Verizon has lifted the 3G barrier. With the combined speed of 4G and its ability to save corporations money, you have a tag team duo that is ready to tackle the next generation of obstacles. 4G is not only unlocking potential, but it is doing it at reduced price.
Brad Sams is the Senior News Editor for Neowin.net and has been covering every facet of the technology scene for the past five years. When not writing for Neowin, Brad is a financial and IT consultant for Fortune 500 companies in the Cincinnati area.
