You have probably heard of the term cloud computing, and it is important to remember that SaaS and cloud computing go hand in hand. Cloud computing is providing IT services over the Internet. The services can include access to servers, storage, databases, networking, and in the case of SaaS, software, instead of accessing on a PC or a server in your office.

Benefits of software as a service

Providing software with this model has many benefits which include:

1. The software and data are available on any device at any time.
2. The is no capital expenditure. Costs can become more manageable operational expenses.
3. Save on hardware and IT costs such as hosting servers.
4. The software provider maintains updates. There are no additional costs for software upgrades.
5. Ability to scale up the number of users quickly.
6. You can increase collaboration and share easily.
7. APIs can integrate with ERP systems.
8. Most cloud providers offer better overall digital security than you can provide. Data is kept in the cloud, so there are no issues if a laptop is lost or stolen.
9. You get new features quicker with no need for updates.

Business demands including customer service for logistics and transportation require the best tools. Market Motion now offers the latest fleet management software on a SaaS model. Roadnet Anywhere combines the best fleet management capabilities — routing, dispatching, telematics, proof of delivery, and analytics to accomplish the perfect execution of a delivery.

As a SaaS, cloud platform, Roadnet Anywhere can offer these tools without the expensive setup and maintenance costs.

Book a demo today.

The post The benefits of software as a service (SaaS) model appeared first on Market Motion.

If you have made the decision to invest in mobile technology for your field workforce, the question now is which device do you buy? Initially, the offers available from consumer smartphone providers may seem tempting – they come at reasonable prices and offer entertainment and some business functionality, so why not? What is there to worry about when it comes to using consumer-grade smartphones?

After carrying out research into how businesses rated the success of their mobile workforce strategy, Zebra discovered that those who had invested in consumer technology were experiencing a wide range of problems. In fact, the respondents to our survey have experienced an average of over 2 issues with an off-the-shelf device. This blog aims to explore the results of this research in a little more depth, highlighting the main issues companies experience with consumer technology and offer expert advice on how you can ensure you don’t encounter the same problems.

The top three issues our research revealed were security, battery life and robustness. 61% of respondents were worried that the security capabilities of consumer devices may not be sophisticated and reliable enough to ensure enterprise data is protected. Ultimately, when your field service team is using these devices to gather and report on such large amounts of sensitive customer data, it is vital that your devices are secure.

As for battery life, 49% reported this as a major issue, especially within the larger organisations consisting of over 5,000 employees. In order for you to see an improvement in the productivity levels of your field team, your mobile devices need to be able to cope with simultaneously running the multiple applications that your staff require over long periods of time, without suffering from depleted battery life.

The physical robustness of the device was the third most significant issue with 42% of our respondents identifying this as a major concern. If your mobile devices are likely to be exposed to a variety of weather and tough working conditions, there are numerous capabilities your device needs to support, from an outdoor readable screen to seals strong enough to withstand large amounts of dust and water ingress.

In addition to these main issues, a number of other concerns came to light when investigating the performance and suitability of consumer-grade devices for business use. Some companies were worried that staff would be able to use consumer grade devices for non-business purposes. This is not only a security concern, but could hinder the productivity levels businesses are hoping to achieve by deploying these devices. Alongside this were additional issues involving warranty support and environmental protection.

Ultimately, consumer-grade smartphones cannot be tailored to individual business needs. Therefore, if you do deploy consumer-grade smartphones to your mobile workforce, then you are bound to come across issues because of the range of capabilities required in service, so the question is, will you ever yield a positive return on your investment?

To achieve increased productivity, efficiency and customer satisfaction levels, your mobile devices need to be able to support the work of your field team in the environments that they operate in, this can be achieved far more effectively with an enterprise-grade, purpose-built smartphone. Selecting this option will ensure that your device meets all the necessary business requirements and can save you money on add-on and replacement costs in the future, not to mention peace of mind that your data is secure.

Source: Zebra

Contact us today if you want to learn more about your mobile options.

The post Consumer grade vs enterprise smartphones – A no brainer appeared first on Market Motion.