An increase in personal choice for driving employees, the rising popularity of new models and drivetrains, as well as unresolved repairs from past years’ recalls are introducing entirely new safety implications that individuals and organizations must learn to navigate.  

In this blog, we’ll unpack the key takeaways from the past year of vehicle recalls and what drivers and employers can expect as the industry continues to shift in 2025. 

Fewer recalls year-over-year—but of course, there’s a catch 

The NHTSA reports that just over 27.7 million vehicles were recalled in 2024. This is down from 33.6 million in 2023 and 29.0 million in 2022, and by some measures the lowest total since 2013.  

To that end, with the exception of a spike of almost 10 million vehicles recalled in Q1, each quarter of 2024 was actually lighter on manufacturer issuances compared to the same period over the past two years.  

While a downward trend in safety issues is a positive development on its face, the NHTSA estimates that the surge in recalls from past years has had a long-tail impact on drivers in 2024. When factoring in the huge backlog of un-repaired vehicles from 2023 and 2022, it’s estimated that there are 72.7 million vehicles on the road today with an open recall.  

Brass tax? One in four cars on the road in the United States today have an open recall.  

For context, Consumer Affairs noted that the past decade has seen a huge jump in the total number of recalls compared to the previous status quo. Back in 2013 and 2012, for instance, total recalls barely scratched 20 million, before abruptly topping 50 million for a roughly three-year stretch between 2014 and 2016.  

When you dig into the nature of the recalls—as well as how timelines align with the launch of new models and drivetrains—you’ll start to understand where the industry is heading, and how drivers and businesses should start to respond. 

Do Not Drive vs. Park Outside 

The NHTSA slots vehicle recalls into two categories based on severity. Do Not Drive recalls are the most critical (and self-explanatory), while Park Outside recalls dictate a “fire hazard to buildings,” but don’t necessarily pose an urgent risk to drivers.  

From 2015 to 2017, the number of Do Not Drive recalls jumped from less than 30K to more than 2 million. This aligned with the introduction of a wealth of new plug-in hybrids and pureplay electric vehicles (EVs) in the second half of 2015.  

That’s not to say that every recall was related to the auto industry’s shift away from traditional internal combustion models. It does, however, illustrate ‘growing pains’ within the sector that are continuing to play out in 2025. 

Beginning in 2020, the number of Park Outside recalls jumped abruptly from less than 400K to more than 1.3 million, led in large part to electrical vehicle system issues in new models like the Tesla Model 3. While these system flaws were relatively minor, they continued to pile up year-over-year, surging to 4.8 million Park Outside recalls in 2023 alone.  

Although 2024 saw the number of Park Outside orders drop significantly to just 732.2K, the same culprits from past year—namely, new Tesla models—led the charge: In total, 2.19 million Cybertruck, Model 3, Model S, Model X and Model Y units were recalled by Tesla for inadequate-size warning light labels. 

Although Tesla leads the way in Park Outside issues—a trend that has continued into 2025 as more than 230K models were just recalled this month for faulty rearview cameras—almost all of the issues were fixable via Over-the-Air (OTA) updates that can be addressed without physical intervention.  

Legacy automakers issuing the most serious recalls in 2024 

Luxury brands Mercedes and Porshe saw some of the largest Do Not Drive recalls of the year, including a brake failure warning for 2006-2012 ML, GL and R-Class Mercedes models attributed to moisture buildup across more than 15,000 models.  

Recalls for the 2024 Porsche Cayenne kicked off a bad year for the German brand, as almost 2.5K models were recalled for a “cracked control arm” that could result in complete loss of steering and wheel control.  

The hits kept coming for Porsche in October, as the company issued a wide-ranging recall for a “fracturing wheel bolt” for the 2025 Panamera, 2024 718 Cayman GT4 RS, 718 Spyder RS, and 2021-2024 911 models.  

In total, however, Stellantis/Chrysler (4.6 million), Tesla (4.44 million) Ford (4.36 million), and Honda (3.79 million) recalled the most vehicles last year, with Electrical Systems remaining the top-recalled component across the entire industry. 

As new driving systems gain popularity, new recalls are inevitable 

With next-generation electrical systems being introduced across virtually every vehicle line, drivers can expect new challenges and maintenance considerations to start emerging as well.  

Folding these considerations into vehicle programs will be a key consideration for businesses that maintain a driving workforce into the future.  

After all, more than 60 percent of respondents to Motus’s 2024 Driving Employee Report indicate they want choice in the cars they drive for both work and personal use. This will inevitably lead to businesses deploying more flexible vehicle programs going forward compared to the traditional company car systems of the past. 

Depending on what vehicles drivers choose, businesses will need to be sure they’re deploying programs that accurately track driver safety in terms of both personal behavior and vehicle performance. This will help mitigate risks to the business, compliance with industry standards, and even more fair and accurate reimbursements for driving employees.  

To design a vehicle program that fits the unique preferences of your driving workforce while satisfying the needs of your business, connect with a member of the Motus team today.  

2024 Vehicle Recalls: Top 5 FAQ About Auto Safety and Business Impact

What were the key vehicle recall statistics for 2024?

Important numbers from 2024: 

• 27.7 million total vehicles recalled (down from 33.6M in 2023) 
• 72.7 million vehicles currently on road with open recalls 
• One in four U.S. cars has an open recall 
• Largest recalls by manufacturer:  
• Stellantis/Chrysler: 4.6 million 
• Tesla: 4.44 million 
• Ford: 4.36 million 
• Honda: 3.79 million

What are the different types of vehicle recalls, and how severe are they?

The NHTSA classifies recalls into two categories: 

Do Not Drive Recalls:  

• Most critical safety issues 
• Require immediate attention 
• Increased from 30K to 2M+ between 2015-2017 
• Often involve critical safety systems 

Park Outside Recalls:  

• Indicate fire hazards to buildings 
• Less urgent than Do Not Drive 
• Jumped from 400K to 1.3M+ since 2020 
• Often related to electrical systems 
• Many fixable through Over-the-Air updates 

What were the most significant recall issues in 2024?

Notable recalls included: 

• Tesla: 2.19M vehicles for inadequate warning light labels 
• Mercedes: 15,000+ vehicles for brake failure issues 
• Porsche: Multiple recalls including:  
• 2024 Cayenne for cracked control arms 
• Multiple models for fracturing wheel bolts 
• Electrical Systems remained the most recalled component 
• New EV models faced various system-related issues 
• Many recalls stemmed from new technology integration 

How are vehicle recalls evolving with new technology?

Key trends and changes: 

• Increase in electrical system-related recalls 
• Rise in Over-the-Air (OTA) fixable issues 
• Growing pains in EV and hybrid vehicle sectors 
• New challenges with next-generation electrical systems 
• Shift from mechanical to electronic system issues 
• More sophisticated diagnostic and repair procedures 
• Continued evolution of safety standards 

What are the implications for businesses and fleet management?

Important considerations include: 

• Need for flexible vehicle programs to accommodate employee preferences 
• 60% of employees want choice in work/personal vehicles 
• Increased importance of tracking driver safety and vehicle performance 
• Requirements for more comprehensive risk management 
• Need for updated compliance monitoring 
• Importance of fair reimbursement systems 
• Balance between employee choice and safety requirements 

Note: As vehicle technology continues to evolve, businesses must adapt their vehicle programs to address both traditional and emerging safety concerns. 

The post Vehicle Recalls: What 2024’s totals mean for drivers in 2025 appeared first on Motus.

Upgrading Your Company’s Mobile Devices

Upgrading your company’s mobile devices comes down to a number of factors. Some favor the company, while others favor the employees using them. Considerations include: screen size, speed, security, battery life, storage and usage. This list, by no means exhaustive, is a good start when thinking through a decision that can have a large impact on the company. Let’s start with screen size.

Screen Size

Let’s look way, way back at 2012 and the release of the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5’s screen diagonally is 4” compared to the iPhone XR’s which is 6.1”. That’s a substantial difference. A larger screen makes it easier for employees to multi-task. Smartphones with the larger screen may have a split screen option, letting you open two screens simultaneously.

Speed

How long does it take your mobile device to load an app? Application processor performance seems to improve with each new mobile device release. You can use benchmark apps, with a series of preprogrammed operations, to test the speed of your smartphone’s internal components. There are two types of benchmarks: Browser and Graphic. Browser benchmarks may reload the same page to check for speed. Graphic benchmarks will open-up a graphic to see how quickly it loads. These apps can track the performance of your device over time.

Security

Make sure your employee’s devices offer hardware level security. Some newer models offer a “pattern lock” – a personalized shape or pattern that is drawn on the screen to grant access. Other security options available may be touch ID, facial recognition and iris scanners. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL from Google runs the stock version of Android Pie. If a security vulnerability is spotted in the Android software, Pixel phones are the first to receive security patches correcting vulnerabilities to hacking or viral infections.

Battery Life

If your smart phone battery seems to drain faster than your kitchen sink, it’s time for an upgrade. Signs that your battery is bad include decreases in length of charge, if you need to keep it plugged in order for it to work and when your phone simply refuses to work.

Storage

Older smartphones may have less memory and storage space. On the iPhone XR you can either opt for 64 GB up to 256 GB of storage while the iPhone XS Max offers 64 GB to 512 GB. Make sure your employees have devices that have substantial storage space so they have no issues opening and utilizing apps.

Usage

Smartphones often collect debris in areas that you cannot reach. The older the device, the more likely it is to have dirt built-up in places that are impossible to clean and may affect how well your mobile device will perform.

Average lifespan (replacement cycle length) of smartphones in the United States from 2013 to 2022 (in years)

This graph indicates that in 2018 the average smartphone was replaced in just under three years.

Smartphones for businesses are here for the long haul. Just remember to have a detailed mobile device policy in place for your enterprise. Keeping your mobile device policy up-to-date is key. If you decide to upgrade your employee’s phones, make sure to run it by your Managed Mobility Services (MMS) provider if you have one, or your IT department, to ensure it’s necessary.

The post 6 Considerations Before Upgrading Your Company’s Mobile Devices appeared first on Motus.

What is bring your own device (BYOD)? 

Bring your own device is an approach to reimbursing employees for using their personal assets for business purposes. What makes a BYOD program stand out is the customizability and specificity. Companies can choose the assets to reimburse and the reimbursements are specific to employee locations and job roles. 

What does a BYOD program reimburse? 

A BYOD program enables employees to use personal assets such as phones, tablets, broadband and home office and receive accurate reimbursements. Companies rolling out a BYOD program can pick and choose the assets they wish to reimburse for, as well as how much to reimburse. For example, workers that work from home two days a week may receive a different internet reimbursement compared to an employee who works from home five days a week. Motus BYOD allows you adjust the program to fit your employees. 

How do I know my company needs a BYOD program? 

It really depends. Every company is different. A number of factors, from industry and size to location and number of employees within each department, impact company needs. Different employers require different things of their employees. Here are a number of signs that signal it might be time for your company to adopt a BYOD program. 

Don’t have a reimbursement policy?

Not having any reimbursement policy in place can create serious headaches across the company. Take, for example, an employee using their personal phone for work submits three months’ worth of phone reimbursements at once. From a budgeting perspective, this can pose a serious challenge. And who can say how long the employee will wait to submit their next expense. From an administrative perspective, this is a large and unexpected burden. A BYOD program streamlines this process and limits unexpected expense submissions. 

Spending too much time with expense reports? 

Speaking of expense reports, they aren’t cheap. They cost the company time and money. If it’s a recurring, reimbursable expense, your company shouldn’t have to run it through the expense system. This can lead to business expense fraud. Employees could, for example, submit their family cell phone plan bill and unless you’re going through that bill with a fine-tooth comb, you may overlook it because you have many reports to review and approve. Sure, your company may rely on their personal device, but not the personal devices of everyone in that employee’s family. With a BYOD program, you can reimburse them for a more accurate, equitable amount. 

Not sure how accurate the reimbursement you’re providing are? 

Reimbursements for the business use of personal assets are often seen as an employee benefit. But it’s important that those reimbursements are accurate. If they fall short, it could give rise to resentment from employees and potentially a lawsuit. When was the last time you reviewed the amount you were giving employees? Do you know why you chose that amount? Do you offer different reimbursements based on location? How about job roles? With a BYOD program, the Motus platform calculates accurate rates specific to employee location and job role. 

Don’t want to deal with a corporate device program?  

We get it. Whether your corporate device program is outsourced to a managed mobility services vendor or managed internally, it can be a lot of work. The onboarding and off-boarding process can pose serious challenges. That’s especially true if the program is being managed without a platform, or on an older, pieced together platform. Depending on your program, repair and replacement might also be a significant hassle. A BYOD program? Considerably less so. A BYOD program is extremely simple to set up and manage. 

Is your workforce growing? 

If you only have a couple of employees, you may not need to think about a BYOD program. And that’s okay. But if you’ve experienced some serious growth, or you already have several departments full, it might be time to take a look. Especially if some of those departments are using their personal phones for business reasons. 

Is your workforce spread out?

If your company has a single location in one city, and all employees drive in to work, you might not need all that a BYOD program has to offer. But if your company has multiple locations in different cities, or employees working remotely, you should take a look at a BYOD program. Why? The answer is simple. Things cost different amounts from location to location. The rate each employee receives should be specific to their location. And a BYOD program takes that into consideration.  

Do you have concerns around labor law and IRS compliance? 

How your company tackles reimbursement and the level of urgency around it might depend on where you operate. Labor law varies by state. IRS compliance on the other hand is national. Ensuring you’re reimbursing, and that those reimbursements meet state and federal requirements is important. Fortunately, a BYOD program can do all of that for you. 

Challenges to Overcome

Whether your company has said yes to only one, a couple or all of the signs above, you may still be facing some hurdles. One of the biggest challenges companies fear when looking to adopt a BYOD program is change management. Fortunately, setting up a BYOD program is super simple for admins and employees. Employees just need to set up their BYOD account and input their direct deposit information. The program is just as easy for administrators. After a couple hours with our team they’re good to go.

One other issue is a potential decrease in reimbursement amounts. Moving to BYOD program may cause some employees to receive less than what they currently get. That’s especially true if employees were expensing entire internet plans, or your company was reimbursing them for their family phone plans. It’s important you know that a BYOD program is customizable. We will build a program first based on employee zip codes, but adjustments can be made. Depending on what you want to offer, we can increase the amount or decrease it.  

Next Steps 

Reimbursing employees for the business use of personal assets like their phones, home office or internet shouldn’t be difficult. With the hurdles of labor laws and accurate rates for each employee, an internal program could be challenging when it should be easy. Fortunately, with Motus it is easy. If you’re ready to connect with us and start setting up your BYOD program, reach out to us today!

The post Is It Time For Your Company to Implement a BYOD Program? appeared first on Motus.

Why BYOD? 

Companies using a bring your own device program reimburse employees for the business use of their personal devices. The reasons to do so are many. One of the most popular options, corporate device, has companies providing employees with business-specific devices. First, phones aren’t cheap. Depending on company needs, several departments may need to be outfitted with new devices. Taking into account the cost of each smartphone and the plan costs, prices can add up quickly. That doesn’t even scratch the surface of replacement expenses and IT stress from additional support needs. A BYOD program has none of those upfront costs. 

Second, employees prefer to use devices they know. Alternative options will have them switching between personal and business devices, and those don’t always have the same operating system. When an employee uses their personal device, they know what they’re working with. However, with this benefit comes a serious corporate concern. 

Bring Your Own Device Guidelines 

Security is a major concern for most companies. Every device that has access to sensitive company information is a potential entry point for cyber-attack. This seems to be twice as concerning when employees’ personal devices are that entry point. To mitigate this risk, companies must implement security measures that can easily be adopted by all devices and other endpoints. 

Secure Platform 

Everything begins with the platform employees engage with to install necessary corporate software. Having a single secure platform as the source for all updates is a big step toward ensuring employees aren’t downloading malware and exposing the company to cyber security risk. Security management extends beyond the platform to those pieces attached to it, covering content and domain filtering and anti-malware functionality. That would include mobile threat defense solutions and professional services capabilities. 

Vetted Applications  

A secure platform doesn’t help much if the applications added to phones have exposures. Implementing a guaranteed app takes more than a scroll through its website and review section. Set up time with the company, ask for references and come with questions specific to your system. Even if an offer is too good to pass up, be ready to walk away if the security is questionable.    

Multi-Factor Authentication 

This is more than a Face I.D. or Touch I.D. An employee may misplace their device, and it may fall into the wrong hands. When it does, you want to be sure there’s more protecting sensitive company data than a four-digit password. Pushing an authenticator to all devices offers an additional level of security.   

Reimbursement 

With a BYOD program, employees are still paying their phone bill. Most companies offering a BYOD program provide a stipend to offset the cost of the personal device’s business use. Is it mandatory? That depends on the state(s) your company operates in. Cases have resulted in million dollar lawsuits, and avoiding that is more than worth the monthly reimbursements paid to employees. 

Eligibility 

Rolling out a BYOD program to the entire company means a longer implementation process and increased endpoint risk. Look at what departments, or even specific employees, require the program and prioritize onboarding based on greatest need. If the process goes smoothly you can think about adding the entire company, but there’s no harm in starting small to begin things.  

Education 

When fighting cyberattacks, few things are more valuable than knowledge. Help employees learn to identify the clues that something is a suspicious message or phishing attempt. You might even go as far as ensuring employees enrolled in the BYOD program take a quiz first to determine their email etiquette doesn’t pose a security risk.  

MMS or BYOD?

Choosing between MMS and BYOD can be a challenge, especially when your company has potential use cases for both. Maybe sales representatives need a corporate device while employees in IT can stay in the business-know on their personal devices. There are plenty of reasons a company could use these programs simultaneously. But the hassle of running them through two different vendors, or a combination of in-house and outsourced? Just thinking about it might cause a headache. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be one or the other. Your company could have both, without jumping through the hoops of using multiple vendors. Find out more about what that could look like in our blog.

Getting Your BYOD Program Off the Ground 

The bring your own device guidelines outlined in this blog provide first steps for a company ready to implement a BYO program. Certain determinants, like the reimbursement portion, secure platform and vetted applications may be more challenging. Companies often use managed mobility service (MMS) providers to help implement their mobile program. A lot of these providers lack experience in the BYOD space. We have proven expertise and methodology, backed by a sound platform that supports both BYOD and corporate-liable programs.

The post Bring Your Own Device Guidelines: Savings and Security with Your Mobility Program  appeared first on Motus.

Five Benefits of Mobile Devices in Business 

1) Mobile Workforce

When you use your smartphone at work, your desk is mobile you can get a signal. Aside from the benefits of making employees more reachable, this feature allows them to work wherever it is most comfortable. Especially during a pandemic, a change of scenery can go a long way toward refreshing work ethic and productivity. 

2) Apps

What can’t you do with a mobile app? While there are plenty of outside applications (like Motus), many companies have their own apps to help with workplace housekeeping tasks that would otherwise have to wait until the employee returns to their desk. According to the Motus Mobile Workforce Benchmark Report, 79% of companies plan to introduce at least one more mobile app to employees in 2021. Using a smartphone for business purposes would keep all these resources organized in the same place.  

3) Cameras

Smartphone cameras provide a wealth of organizational opportunities for both in-person and remote work. Aside from allowing employees to attend meetings virtually, they allow employees at in-person meetings to instantly capture notes from a whiteboard or take photos for social media use. Camera apps also hold other information that allows employees to track down things they may have otherwise not been able to find, like the exact date or location of a meeting where a photo was taken. 

4) General UX

Smartphones have a multitude of features that set them apart from desktop computers. Using a smartphone gives employees access to features like gestures or voice-activation, which can help them navigate their device at top speed, without the clunkiness associated with a computer. There is also the benefit of using an operating system that employees are already familiar with from using their own smartphones. 

5) Data

Having employees use a smartphone for work allows an employer to access more of their data, which can feel a little Big Brother. However, this data can contribute to companies’ future success. For example, proximity-sensing data from smartphones has been an asset during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic for contact tracing and ensuring social distancing policies are being followed. 

Encouraging Employee Mobile Device Usage 

Does your company currently encourage employees to use mobile devices? Their current mobile device program is a solid indicator. Your company may choose to outsource Managed Mobility Services, the administrative work associated with your company’s electronic devices. This can take the form of Bring Your Own Device, Company Provided Device, Choose Your Own Device or a hybrid program. 

While mobile devices are frequently seen as a distraction from work tasks, they are an integral part of the future of technology in the workplace, and they have unique benefits compared to desktop computers or laptops. Particularly in the era of work from home, smartphones’ portability and features make them an ideal tool for increased efficiency and success. Companies that encourage mobile device use by outsourcing MMS can reap these benefits.  

Ready to Benefit from Mobile Devices?

If your company is ready to enable employees with mobile devices, we’re happy to help! And if you’re not ready, we’re also here to provide the information you need to make the right choice. Whether that choice is empowering employees to use their personal devices or enabling them with corporate devices, or a combination of the two, you want to know what you’re getting into.

The post Benefits of Mobile Devices in Business: Five Ways Smartphones Benefit Companies  appeared first on Motus.

Today, let’s take a look at the process of choosing an MMS provider and lay out some of the essential considerations you’ll need to make along the way.

Understanding Managed Mobility Services

Before you get immersed in the selection process, let’s first clarify what Managed Mobility Services are and what they do. Simply put, an MMS provider specializes in managing the complete lifecycle of your organization’s mobile devices and any of the various services associated with your devices. That can cover a wide range of solutions covering services like:

• Device Procurement
• Provisioning
• Support
• Security
• Expense Management
• Forward & Reverse Logistics
• And more

With various services to choose from, a quality MMS provider can give your organization a wealth of expertise to lean on. This not only smoothes over your mobile operations but also enhances your productivity and efficiency with your internal teams and even reduces your overall costs.

Where Do Managed Mobility Services Providers Fall Short?

Done right, MMS has a lot of benefits that can enhance your company’s relationship with mobile devices. However, it’s also important to acknowledge some of the common areas where less-skilled MMS providers show their weaknesses.

Some things to consider when choosing an MMS provider are what a particular provider can offer in terms of:

• Expertise — How long have they been in the business, and how much mastery do they have and can they offer you the right support?
• Infrastructure — What tools and resources do they have at their disposal?
• Capabilities — What services are they truly able to promise to you with reliable results?

 It’s crucial that any MMS provider you select is strong in all three areas and in a way that aligns with assisting you with your organization’s goals. Lacking in any of these areas should be a big red flag in your selection process.

Discussing the Benefits of Partnering With an MMS Provider

Before exploring what to look for in an MMS provider, ensure you thoroughly understand your business’s needs and objectives. When you know what you want and need, it will be much easier to determine which MMS provider can deliver on your requirements.

Assessing Business Needs and Objectives

What are your organization’s mobile device needs? What do you need from your mobile devices at this current point in your business, and how will your needs grow and change in the future?

Some questions you’ll want to ask yourself:

• How many devices does your company need or currently use?
• Which types of devices do you need?
• What geographical locations will you be using your devices?
• Which employee roles will most often be using these devices?

With a better idea of what your company needs from mobile devices, you can select a provider whose MMS solutions better meet those needs.

What Devices, Plans and Carriers Do You Have in Your Current Business Regions?

Take a deep look at the current assortment of mobile devices, data plans, and carrier agreements your company uses. Suppose an MMS provider can integrate with your current system neatly while offering seamless transitions to new systems, devices, or plans in the future. In that case, their partnership will likely lead to success for your mobility program.

What Do You Need From a Global MMS Provider?

When it comes to global operations or international expansion, part of how to choose an MMS service provider is understanding how a provider fits into your operations. You’ll need to make that consideration for every region where you currently do business or plan to.

A quality MMS provider can support your team in various regions with services as varied as policy enforcement, strategy, logistics, and expense management.

What Does Your Company’s Current Mobility Program Look Like?

Your mobile device management program and where you need to improve will dictate a fair amount of what to look for in an MMS provider. Consider what the following aspects of your mobility program currently look like.

Device Provisioning

What pain points are you facing in how your business handles the device provisioning process? An MMS provider that can effectively automate and simplify how you go about device procurement, configuration, and deployment can be a major benefit. Partnering with this strategy can give your business considerable improvements in efficiency while significantly reducing administrative burdens.

Bring Your Own Device Option

MMS isn’t always the right answer for all employees. Have departments using devices for work but don’t quite need a company provided one? A bring your own device (BYOD) program might be the best approach. Finding a provider who delivers both can be a true game changer.

Support

What does your current mobile device support model look like, and how well does it meet your current needs and expectations? An excellent MMS provider should have a reliable and accessible support program that addresses technical issues and other user concerns promptly.

Aligning Requirements With Available Service Offerings

How well do an MMS provider’s services and solutions align with your needs and requirements? When choosing an MMS provider, consider providers with an extensive suite of services that are well-poised to meet your particular needs.  These needs include mobile device management, security, application management, expenses, or your company’s reporting capabilities.

Prioritize Security

Mobile devices and mobile data bring matters like security to the forefront. It’s essential that any MMS provider you choose places an emphasis on robust security measures to help protect your sensitive information. There are several things to consider when choosing an MMS provider, including encryption, device-level security, secure data transmission, and industry-specific regulation compliance like HIPAA and GDPR.

Good User & Employee Experience Is Crucial

When an MMS provider’s platform is intuitive and user-friendly for end-users and administrators, it shows that the MMS provider prioritizes those benefits. When the MMS provider’s user and employee experiences are positive and seamless, it’s a great external indicator that other aspects of their operations are working correctly.

Cost Analysis and Value

Though it should never be the only factor behind how you choose an MMS provider, the cost can be an important consideration. Making decisions based purely on price will be an inevitable race to the bottom in terms of quality. However, comparing the costs quoted by various MMS providers and comparing these to the overall value they can bring to your organization can help you get more bang for your buck.

As you evaluate an MMS provider, consider the total cost of ownership (TCO). TCO isn’t merely a measure of the service fees the MMS charges. It’s also the potential gains your company can see in savings, efficiency, and productivity when you partner with a quality MMS provider.

Reputation and Client Reviews

Positive client reviews are an excellent place to evaluate an MMS provider’s reputation and track record of success. Take a look at the various aspects of the service that reviewers mention to gain a better sense of the provider’s industry expertise, customer service, and the overall quality of their client relationships. Choosing an MMS provider with a strong reputation can set up a partnership that you can trust.

Making the Decision

The foremost consideration when choosing an MMS provider is to be certain that your business objectives align with the services that they offer. Overall, it’s incredibly important to prioritize needs like scalability and flexibility, security and compliance, and the dynamic balance of cost to value.

Find a Partner Who Understands Your Needs and a Track Record of Success with Motus

As you carefully consider your next MMS provider, we encourage you to set your sights on Motus. As a leading provider of managed mobility services, Motus can provide your organization with various comprehensive mobile device management solutions. We focus specifically on exceptional value and top-notch customer service.

To learn more about Motus and how we can support your mobile device management needs, see how we can optimize your mobility today.

Learn More Today

The post How to Choose the Right Managed Mobility Service Provider appeared first on Motus.

Why BYO?

A company might have any number of reasons to choose a BYO program. Say they’re low on capital. Instead of spending money on devices for entire departments and a carrier plan that covers those devices, they can opt to reimburse for the business use of employee devices. Companies could also choose a corporate-liable program for their sales team, but implement a BYO program for the rest of their business. BYO offers a low-cost flexibility corporate liable doesn’t quite achieve.

BYO may be the choice for a company that already has other reimbursement options. If employees are reimbursed for driving their personal vehicles for work and their personal Wi-Fi to work from home, adding a phone stipend seems a logical inclusion.

Regardless of the scenario, companies should provide their employees with a cell phone stipend. Depending on the state, businesses may be breaking labor laws by not doing so. Which raises the question: what’s the right amount for a fair cell phone stipend?

What’s a Fair Cell Phone Stipend?

According to IRS code, reimbursements must be “reasonable.” Employers have several options when considering a cell phone stipend. Some companies just ask employees to expense their phone bills. Other companies provide a fixed allowance, maybe $50 a month, to cover business use. These options provide employees with payments, but at a much higher cost to the company. Both of these methods lack accuracy.

In order to give an accurate cell phone stipend, costs specific to each employee should be taken into account. This ensures companies aren’t overpaying and employees aren’t under-reimbursed. But calculating those rates specific to each individual… that’s gotta be easier said than done, right? That’s why so many companies choose to outsource their BYO program to arrive at the correct rate.

Determining the Right Rate

When it comes down to it, there are two major factors to consider when calculating an employee’s cell phone stipend. The first is their job role. Are they in a position that requires higher cell phone usage than other employees? Or, are they in a role where a higher stipend might be provided as a perk? Answering these questions should help determine what each employee receives. The other, and more obvious factor, is location.

Costs vary from location to location. Employees working in one area might have the exact same cell phone plan as nearby coworkers, while employees in a different region will see different prices. It’s important to consider differences in cost-of-living when determining an accurate rate. Without this information, stipends lack accuracy.

Evaluating Your Rate

As with many stipends, it can be easy to set a rate and pay it no more attention. If it isn’t causing problems, it can’t be a problem. This logic doesn’t save companies money or help them enable their employees with accurate rates. Here are a few questions to consider when thinking about cell phone stipends:

• When the last time you re-evaluated your rate? A year or two can have a serious impact on whether the cellphone stipends your company provides its employees are enough.
• Is the person who determined it still at the company? It can be easy to lose track of a cell phone stipend when key decision makers are no longer around to update or justify rates.
• How do you know what the right rate is? The right rate should accurately reimburse employees for business use according to their location and job role.  The answer to this shouldn’t be “because no one seems unhappy about it.” Companies with employees expressing frustrations over cell phone stipends have failed to create and communicate the right rate to their employees.
• Should all employees be getting the same rate? Ultimately, this is your company’s choice. With the cost of living accounted for, maybe you want to be sure all employees, regardless of position, receive comparable stipends. Or maybe you want to ensure that employees in roles with more cell phone use receive higher payments. As long as the reimbursements are reasonable, the decision is up to your company.

The Motus BYO Solution

Companies may not have the time, tech or expertise to analyze employees’ carrier and device costs. Using the Motus Platform, we take all these factors into account. With millions of data points, we calculate fair and accurate reimbursements specific to employee locations and configurable to the needs of your company. These reimbursement can be calculated based on availability requirements for job roles, aligning to factors like more data-consumptive role or even international requirements.

One or the other? Why not both?

Managed mobility program? Or bring your own device (BYOD)? Companies often think they can only choose one of the other. Which one works best for the employees of your company? Well, now you don’t have to choose between them. Motus provides both MMS and BYOD offerings. Some employees need corporate devices, others can be enabled to use their own. Now you can support both!

Next Steps

When it comes to cell phone stipends, it’s best to take the right approach. Understanding what that right approach is, for your company and its employees, may take time, meetings and education. So your next step may simply be to better understand what a bring your own program with Motus looks like. Our solution not only empowers employees to use their preferred device for business, it also reduces the administrative burden of a mobility program. Customers gain flexibility by being able to add or remove users as their teams scale and can reduce their capital outlay.

The post Cell Phone Stipend: The Benefits of a BYO Program appeared first on Motus.

What does TEM stand for? 

TEM stands for Telecom Expense Management. What does that mean? Telecom Expense Management refers to the cost and administration specific to the telecommunication needs of a business. This may include landlines, mobile devices, carrier plans and other related costs. In today’s mobile-centric world, most companies have some semblance of TEM, whether they know it or not. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s doing all that it can for the company. 

Taking Advantage of TEM 

Knowing what TEM means is a very small step on the long road to implementing the best TEM program for your company. Companies should be able to save costs and improve efficiencies with the right TEM program in place. Most businesses do so through outsourcing. Won’t outsourcing cost more money than standing up a TEM program in-house? Let’s look at an example. 

Getting Down to Business 

A business services company that specializes in food machinery consulting needs a better TEM program. They’re not large, only 150 employees, but they rely on their phones for both customer communication and sales enablement. The company’s first step towards improving their current situation is searching for carrier plans. They’ll be using the five IT members they have currently working on security and help desk support to implement the program. Additionally, up until this point, the company has relied on employees using their own devices, without reimbursement. Still, the company intends to provide their sales team with corporate devices. 

What’s the problem here?  

First, the company is putting a considerable amount of administrative burden on their current IT team. Their expertise is certainly in computer security and troubleshooting. Thrusting this program on their shoulders won’t be winning the company any favors with the IT department.  

Second, ongoing carrier contract and data pool management can be time intensive, not to mention costly when lacking expert oversight. Further, the process of procuring devices, preparing them for employee use and, inevitably, replacing them is an expansive and expensive undertaking. 

Finally, legal and security compliance get complicated when running hybrid programs. Not reimbursing employees for the business use of their personal devices is a violation of labor laws in many states. BYOD programs should be structured around the reimbursements employees will receive. In addition, managing security on personal devices can be nearly impossible without proper visibility and control, leaving companies vulnerable to data and security breaches. Unfortunately, implementing hybrid company-provided device and bring your own device programs can even be difficult for many TEM providers, let alone a company doing so in-house. 

Outsourcing TEM 

Education is an important factor in decision making. That goes well beyond knowing the answer to the question “what does TEM stand for?” The good thing is, your company doesn’t need to have the expertise to implement a TEM program in-house. You just need to be experts in what your company does, as well as the products and services it offers. As long as you can identify your company’s TEM needs, you can leave the rest to the experts. Which is where Motus comes in. Interested in learning more about how our device solutions cut costs and improve efficiency?  

Learn More Here

The post What Does TEM Stand For? Understanding The Importance of Telecom Expense Management appeared first on Motus.

How do you reimburse for BYOD?

Growing legislation requires companies to reimburse for personal tools used for business purposes, such as devices and home internet. Many states have laws in place to prevent companies from benefiting from employee-owned assets used for business growth and productivity. To ensure compliance, companies must fairly reimburse employees for the business use of these devices. There are a couple ways companies typically do this. 

A Flat Stipend

One approach to BYOD management services is to provide employees with a flat stipend to cover the costs of their personal devices. Flat stipends simplify the reimbursement process by allocating a set amount to each employee for the use of their device. However, these stipends are traditionally taxed and not “flat” on either side – costing companies and employees valuable dollars from their bottom line. 

Flat stipends are typically dispersed through company payroll, and thus taxed accordingly. For example, employee stipends are taxed 7.65% FICA on both the giving and receiving end, while also being subject to traditional income tax. This means the company is paying out more than the original stipend, while the employee nets much less. 

Expense Reporting

Another option for reimbursement is employee-driven expense reporting. With this method, employees report their associated device costs and phone bills through traditional expense reports processed internally. This is often done to avoid corporate tax implications by ensuring the reports substantiate the reimbursement. However, this method creates high administrative burden and often results in employer overpayment (for example, paying the employee’s entire phone bill).  

Outsourced BYOD Management Services

Both flat stipend and traditional expense reporting leave a lot to be desired. When considering reimbursement options, outsourcing BYOD programs to BYOD management service providers benefit both the employer and the employee by improving compliance, decreasing administrative burden and ensuring fair and equitable reimbursements. Outsourced programs can also: 

• Eliminate tax waste by restructuring reimbursements to provide equal or higher reimbursements to employees with little to no out of pocket cost to the employer  
• Customize role-based reimbursements based on reasonable business use parameters and consumer cost data for both mobile device hardware and wireless rate plans, ensuring fair and equitable payouts 

• Reduce administrative burden while increasing scalability through automation 
• Create a better end user experience by giving employees freedom of choice while maintaining fair cost categories 

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