The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/4983
the quarterly magazine of ILTA 13 Peer to Peer expect you to kill the device, wipe the data and cancel the service. Without proper tracking of the associated phone number, you will be unable to provide or facilitate such a service. IT'S NOT JuST AbOuT hARdWARE When managing your mobile fleet, you need to consider more than hardware assets. If these devices connect to your systems, you might be required to manage software licenses as well. For example, even personal BlackBerry devices connecting to your e-mail system require a client access license for your BlackBerry Enterprise Server. On your mobile PCs, you need to make sure you are comfortable with your licensing for the operating system, Microsoft Office and other local software. Even if devices are used only for remote access, you need to make sure you are properly observing the license associated with your remote access solution. Software issues extend beyond licensing. In managing a diverse handheld fleet, for example, one of the biggest challenges is keeping to a common operating system. As device vendors send out original equipment manufacturer (OEM) operating systems for their particular devices, even their OS release numbers often differ from model to model. INSOuRCING VERSuS OuTSOuRCING In a large organization, you can expect to see multiple full time equivalents substantially devoted to management of remote devices. Even in a small firm, proper management of a mobile fleet could easily occupy one person nearly full time. You might find that outsourcing your mobile device management is an attractive alternative to attempting to manage your own fleet. Outsourcing vendors can handle a variety of management tasks, including device and accessory procurement, asset management (hardware and software), administration (activations, moves, additions and changes) and billing (invoice review and split billing). Outsource support might also simplify the process of diversifying your mobile fleet. TOOLS ANd PROCESSES Because of the high churn of mobile devices, formal processes for asset management are essential. Whether you choose a spreadsheet, a ticketing system or a dedicated asset management application, you need to establish tracking conventions and mechanisms as soon as possible in the introduction or expansion of your mobile fleet. This is not as easy as it appears. For handheld devices in particular, you have several methods available for tracking your assets, including phone numbers and international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) numbers. Phone number tracking is particularly important when dealing with lost devices. Further, you could find yourself with an inventory of spare SIM cards. These also need to be tracked to ensure that you do not pay for lines of service you are not using. ThE REFRESh PROCESS Desktop PCs often have a usable life of three to five years. Mobile devices can realistically be expected to stay in heavy service for only two years. Therefore, maintaining a large fleet of remote devices requires you to perform equipment refreshes more often than you otherwise would. The key to a successful refresh process is to objectify it as much as possible. Choose criteria (e.g., purchase date, model number or warranty status) and establish your proposed refresh cycle before introducing the new mobile device. If possible, plan a refresh or introduction around new technology to decrease the "have versus have nots" factor for equipment. For example, you might have a policy to refresh BlackBerry devices two years after purchase. However, should a significantly enhanced device come out midcycle for your users, their satisfaction will be affected. ANd ThE ANSWER IS . . . Supporting a large and varied fleet of mobile devices is almost certain to increase user satisfaction with your IT organization, but it needs to be done right. Most importantly, your senior management needs to be prepared to make decisions and act on policy issues associated with mobile devices. ILTA Joy heath Rush is responsible for the training, support and asset management functions firmwide at sidley austin llP. she is the past President of ilta and served three terms on the board. Joy was previously the Microsoft Peer Group chair. she was named it champion of the year for 2008 by Law Technology News and was previously recognized for World class leadership by legal it (u.K.) she can be reached at jheathrush@sidley.com. did you know . . . The Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center is the first hospital in the United States to use a fully automated version of mVisum's mobile EKG-monitoring application on BlackBerry mobile devices. The app is not only helping to save the lives of heart-attack victims, but it's also reducing the average length of cardiology patient stays in the medical center and overall healthcare costs. ILTA