Interview: Scott Kraege Alleviates Mobile Pain for Education

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Bring Your Own Device programs, IT policies and strategies in the K-12 and higher education sectors are all the purvey of Scott Kraege, an expert in the space and co-founder of MOBI wireless management. His work in setting up pilot programs for local K-12 schools interested in adopting tablets in the classroom as well as his passion for the area make for an interesting and informative discussion, and here it is.

Victor: Why did you create MOBI wireless management?

Scott: In 2007, we began to see a market for simple, costefficient, low-risk, wireless managed services within large enterprises. The MOBI solution was developed more automated, more configurable, and much more robust in capability than anything else in the industry. Within a week of sketching the broad strokes, we hired a small team of IT developers and began coding the software platform. After nearly a year’s work, we began to create an identity for MOBI. We built the foundations of a sales organization, and we utilized new forms of guerilla marketing and social media to help build the brand. Eight months after taking the solution to market, AOTMP – the telecom industry’s leading research and advisory organization, ranked MOBI #1 in customer satisfaction in its 2010 annual report. Since then, MOBI has forged ahead as one of the leaders in this fairly new marketplace. We like the view ahead of us – a virtually untapped market, with no real dominant players, all while wireless technology continues to become more and more of a mission-critical tool for enterprises.
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Two Things You Must Address for a Successful Tablet Deployment

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Deploying any device into a company’s wireless environment requires careful thought and consideration. Two major components to address are security and device support.

The tablet trend is still evolving but it’s clear that tablets require more attention than your basic wireless devices in business. Recent stats from my company, MOBI wireless management, reveal that while less than 5% of managed devices are tablets, 20% of help-desk calls are tablet-related. Deploying tablets can and will require more time and management than your average device.

Tablet security & data control

Security issues are at the forefront of the tablet movement. Why? These devices are also used in personal ways–downloading and listening to music, storing pictures, web surfing, etc.
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How to Screw Up a BYOD Rollout

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Companies with naive or shortsighted goals find that dumping mobile devices onto employees doesn’t play out as planned.

The good news is that more and more companies are letting employees bring in their own smartphones and tablets, acknowledging the BYOD phenomenon. The bad news is that many are doing it badly and often regretting the results. It doesn’t have to be that way, but an unhappy outcome seems to be the norm, especially at midsize companies, says Brandon Hampton, a director at Mobi Wireless Management, which provides a management service for mobile devices and carrier plans.

What shocked me was why so many customers are unhappy with the results.
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Consumerization of IT: The New Role of Enterprise Mobility Management

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There are many issues facing corporate wireless programs today, but perhaps the greatest new challenge is the consumerization of IT. This increasingly used term refers to the influence that consumer technology experiences have on the technology used in the workplace. According to a recent survey by Symantec, 91 percent of employees say their company allows them to use their work-related smartphones for personal use. However, only 51 percent report their employer has communicated policies or best practices to them regarding the security of their smartphones.
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Start your 1 to 1 ROI

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Use these essential considerations to start a Return On Investment estimate before you dive into a 1:1 program.

Whether it’s enough for the teachers or a full 1 to 1 program, tablet deployments are becoming more and more popular. Use these points from Brandon Hampton of Mobi Wireless Management, which has worked with schools to prepare for 1:1 adoptions, for some back-of-the-napkin math to get you started on a Return on Investment (ROI) calculation.
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