Samsung’s Galaxy S3, HTC phones, the Nokia Lumia 920, and the iPhone 5 all made the list, but it seems that Blackberry is moving towards a phone of the past; at least in the opinion of Mayer.
The question here is; where do you stand on phone technology for your employees? Are you jumping on the smartphone, touch screen bandwagon or are you going to cling to the Blackberry?
Many companies are facing that decision more and more. It’s not just the difference in equipment type and capabilities that managers are faced with; they also have to deal with a growing demand from their employee base. Blackberry’s may be more than sufficient for the business model for which they are being considered, but how many of the employees want to carry one? Attracting younger employees could prove difficult if their new employer wants them to rock a Blackberry while all their friends jam on an iPhone and comparable products.
Why is Yahoo! giving its entire domestic staff a smartphone? According to Mashable, Mayer is having these phones issued so that her employees can interact and understand the mobile and social world in the same way that Yahoo’s customers do. That sounds reasonable. Perhaps it is time for a few more HVAC techs and contractor employees to own a smartphone. After all, HVAC companies do have customers to interact with.
While considering the possibility of arming your staff with a smartphone, consider the business opportunities as well. With all the applications and programs, there has to be something out there that would help streamline your business processes.
Let me know what you think about Mayer’s decision to exclude Blackberry and let us know how you use smartphones in the comment sections below.
