Mobile enterprises, a growing trend
ACE Life Insurance has become the first company in Viet Nam to offer life insurance products on mobile phones, including payment options.
The US company has launched an electronic sales management tool which allows mobile devices to connect with the company for sales and enables the company's staff to better manage client accounts.
The trend, called "mobile enterprise", which describes enterprises bringing part or all of their working processes and services offered externally to mobile devices, is expected to soon become very popular in Viet Nam because of the rapid growth in the use of smart phones and tablets.
For customers, it offers the obvious advantages of convenience and ease of use, saving them time and money.
ACE's product also allows clients to pay online using additional equipment to swipe cards.
For companies, it is a new way to reach customers and one that enables them to improve both efficiency and productivity by allowing staff to work remotely.
"Going mobile is a logical step forward for Viet Nam," Ngo Thanh Hien, technical head at IBM's Mobility Solutions department told Viet Nam News.
"There are around 5 billion smart phones and tablets in the world and only 2 billion laptops and desktops.
"This means users tend to use private mobile devices instead of office computers.
"Viet Nam is [part of] this trend with a strong increase in the number of smart phones such as iPhones and Blackberrys."
Elsewhere, the Viet Nam Mobile Telecom Services Centre II (VMS II) and IBM Viet Nam have developed an advanced, end-to-end mobile computing platform that allows the former to expand into new markets while enhancing its enterprise application development capabilities and improving workforce productivity.
"This strategic investment will help us sustain our leading position in telecommunication services in Viet Nam," said Nguyen Bao Long, deputy director of VMS II.
"We will use the new mobile cloud infrastructure to streamline management of employees' personal devices, quickly deliver value-added services and promotions to our customers, and improve customer satisfaction."
The chairman of ACE Life, Lam Hai Tuan, told Viet Nam News, "It helps save time and money while avoiding fraud."
Lenders like HD Bank, ANZ and Vietcombank also offer their customers mobile services, but to successfully go mobile, companies need to ensure complete security.
"While local enterprises can enjoy the advantages of an already mobile-savvy labour force, they are still challenges in terms of company culture and employee awareness for security and compliance," Hien said.
"The end-to-end solution will not only offer enterprises a comprehensive mobile portfolio that combines security, analytics, and application development software, but also features several services to help establish mobile strategies and design and implement mobile projects."
vietnamnews
