How to: get the most out of your Corporate Smartphones

It’s no secret that we Brits find it hard to part with our old devices. Even if we have no use for an old phone once we upgrade it, we often still place it into the back of a drawer just in case the need arises. The same is true for corporate smartphones. When a phone becomes too old businesses fork out large amounts of money for phones which are compatible with the latest operating system. This leaves the old phone redundant and many of us choose to hold onto these devices just in case they are needed again.

How big is the issue?

The issue of unused household and corporate smartphones is much larger than we may realise. In a survey conducted by the mobile contract provider GiffGaff, 16% of people admitted to holding onto their tech. This means that out of the 66.65million UK residents, a staggering 10.6million have unused smartphones in their homes. 

Luckily, there are ways businesses can help prolong the use of their corporate smartphones. Along with this, we can also help to cut down on the number of phones our staff may have left unused in their own homes.

Wiping and reusing your corporate smartphones

One of the reasons corporate smartphone users may be reluctant to pass on their devices to others is data. As we already know, factory resets are not enough to ensure the safety of data held on redundant mobiles. With news of business data breaches constantly popping up in the media, it’s easy to be wary of reusing old devices.

Luckily, there are ways to ensure your business data is fully erased from a corporate smartphone using data wiping. The secure alternative to a factory reset, data erasure ensures 100% of the user’s data is removed from the device. This costs just a fraction of the price to purchase an entirely new fleet of devices and prevents the need for old devices to be scrapped.

An alternative to reuse damaged devices is refurbishment. With the new ‘right to repair’ legislation coming into effect this summer, this provides new opportunities for businesses to easier repair and reuse corporate smartphones.

As many smartphones ‘run out of life’, many consumers choose not to reuse them. The European Environment Agency briefing found that smartphones are currently not designed for easy repairing, making it more cost-effective and simpler to purchase a new device.

‘Repair options for many electronics are also limited either because the design does not allow easy repair or because repair costs are high compared to buying a new product.’ – European Environment Agency.

Thankfully, the new legislation will encourage manufacturers to create more repair-friendly products. This means mobile refurbishment will be more readily available, cheaper, and allow for further use of your corporate smartphones.

What does refurbishment do for our planet?

Not only does refurbishment prolong the use of your corporate smartphones, but it also helps save resources. 

80% of a mobile phone is recyclable, but the precious materials inside a phone are often discarded with the phone. Luckily, your corporate smartphones can have these elements extracted. This not only helps to save valuable resources from becoming waste but also helps to improve your business’s environmental sustainability.

Learn more about improving your business sustainability in our article Is IT Reuse part of your Corporate Social Responsibility Policy?

Above all, reuse helps to prolong the use of a corporate smartphone. By using an asset for as long as possible, we prevent the need to replace it, save money on purchasing a new device, and help to protect the planet all at the same time.