Choosing The Right Phone For Your Business

Buying phones is never simple is it? Itís bad enough when itís just for you, there are so many options and configurations youíre almost overwhelmed. But when youíre trying to choose the right phone for your business, itís a whole different ball game. To make your decision making a little easier, here are a few questions you can ask yourself when choosing whether to go with an Apple or an Android for your business.

What Do You Need?

†Ask yourself, what do you really need from this phone? If youíre just looking for a device that allows you and your team to make phone calls and check emails, then itís pretty impossible to make the wrong choice. The difficulty comes in when you need extra features and productivity. If youíre looking for user-friendly, reliable service that works seamlessly with other Apple devices, allowing remote access and complementary functionality, then an Apple phone is the way to go. If youíre looking for a more open-ended device with fewer restrictions for development and a highly adaptable interface and software, Android devices might be more compatible. Once you understand exactly what you require from your phone, the choice will be much easier.

†How Does It Fit In?

For a lot of businesses, the prospect of unified coms has been marred by bad experiences. Often these experiences occur when one part of the infrastructure canít communicate with another and the result can be a headache to fix. A unified approach to coms should ensure that it all works together and this can have a huge effect on what equipment and operating systems you use. For example, some aspects of the Apple ecosystem might not work so well with your specialised IT infrastructure and similarly your Android phone may encounter more hurdles when communicating with Apple machines. If youíre using apps for your business, your phones all need to be able to use them and transfer data between themselves. If you are using a unified communications or telephone systems provider make sure you involve them in your decision making, as they will be able to advise you on the best handsets and operating systems to use in your environment.

User Preference

Once youíve assessed all of the technical requirements and narrowed it down to a few select models that meet your needs, the process gets a little trickier. When youíre choosing a phone for yourself, you know what you like and what you want. When youíre choosing phones for the rest of your business, it gets a little more complicated. Trying to balance what everyone likes is an almost impossible task, so you need to understand why your employees prefer certain types of phone before you start. †Of course, there are many different operating systems you can choose for your business phone and sometimes this will be the deciding factor on itís own. If you donít get on with Apple or Android in your personal life, itís unlikely using it for business is going to be productive. Take the time to put together a short survey for your employees to understand what they want from a business phone, and what they donít like. The results should show you the prevailing preference for Apple or Android, and help you understand if your employees donít want one or the other for connectivity, performance or just superficial reasons.

When it comes to mobile phones there will always be divided opinions. Some people still love or hate both platforms for reasons that having nothing to do with functionality, or are driven simply by brand loyalty. Whatever your reasons for choosing an Apple or an Android phone for your business, itís important to keep an open mind about the options. And if all else fails, ask a professional to advise you on the best options for you.