We knew it was coming, and now everyone has seen the adverts. The UK has joined the select league of nations with access to super fast mobile Internet, meaning understanding the potential therein is an absolute essential.
As Kevin Bacon, self-professed centre of the universe, has explained to us all- 4G is here, bringing with it the ability to take full advantage of all the web’s wonders, whilst on the go. Stream movies, share large files, and unless you still haven’t sorted out your iPhone 5’s mapping issue, find out where you want to go and how to get there faster than ever before. The list of possibilities is long winded, but basically the slowest thing about this technology is the human responsible for tapping instructions into the handset.
At face value then it’s all very consumer focused. Which is unsurprising, as EE (the new name for Orange and T Mobile), along with all other telecomms providers, is heavily concerned with private custom from individual users. But the plus sides to a 4th generation of phone networks stretch far into the corporate world too, and don’t stop with big business. Here are our four key reasons why every organisation should already be investigating.
*Productivity- When 4G arrived in the US one construction firm began using it to transmit vast amounts of data through a specialist application, dropping completion times by 30% per day, and saving up to $5,000 a week. Similarly, 40% of companies involved in a Stateside survey by Arthur D. Little and EE reported sales staff completing more deals out in the field, reducing transport costs.
*Competitiveness- According to the same research, 73% of small businesses in Britain will implement a 4G strategy within the next year. Keeping up means joining them. Of course your ideal position in the pack is in front, so drawing up a plan that focuses on your company’s integral message, customer base, and individual requirements is essential too, avoiding unnecessary and expensive bandwagons.
*Sales- Mobile commerce is big business. eBay expects 55% of users to browse and order whilst out and about in the run up to Christmas. Consumers who were once put off by connection reliability will no longer avoid this kind of purchasing process thanks to more stability on 4G, and as such companies should be improving and perfecting their mobile domains in readiness for a rise in demand.
*Brand presence- In the past the way in which mobile visitors to websites and social media pages could be treated by a firm was limited with technology. After all, nobody wants to wait an age for a fancy HTML5 site to load on their phone. 4G’s lightning fast browsing speeds means more capacity for high tech, interactive aspects within the corporate-to-consumer web-based offering.