From field sites to front offices, mobility lets businesses move at the speed of a swipe. But at what cost? As device fleets grow, managing mobile expenses becomes increasingly complex – and easier to lose control of. If you want to get more strategic with your dollars, consider these tips from Tangoe’s expert cost management consultants who advise on billions in annual managed mobile spend.
There’s No Time to Waste in Identifying Zero-use Waste
With over 50,000 devices under management in the average enterprise, it’s easy for smartphones, tablets, and laptops to slip through the cracks. This is a silent but costly drain, and that’s before you factor in the costs of new hardware, reprovisioning and securing replacements, and extra help desk support (which research pins at $5M+ annually). With so many businesses sitting on a surplus of zero-use devices, every mobility leader should focus on usage optimization to uncover what’s being wasted and do more with what they currently have.
But it’s not enough to simply count how many devices are active. You also need visibility into how equipment is being used. Whether it’s devices that were never returned or simply sitting idle, a full-scale audit will help reclaim unused assets, refresh your inventory, and surface real-time usage data to uncover inefficiencies. Some companies are even rediscovering the value of softphones, replacing desk phones with software that can do the same job for less.
The bottom line is wasted devices = wasted dollars. If you’re not prioritizing usage optimization, now is the time.
More Devices + Less Support = A Cost Spiral
As workforces become more mobile-first (60% of employees use 2 or more devices to do their jobs, according to IDC), our experts are seeing more end users bearing the brunt of certain management tasks like set up and provisioning. This not only weakens security posture but leads to usability issues that circle right back to IT, perpetuating a costly cycle.
This will only worsen, with IDC projecting that IT admin roles will drop 11% by 2028 despite the number of devices per admin growing exponentially in that same time. Less support for a growing fleet means more risk, inefficiency, and room for error, which explains why so many companies struggling with mobility management cite “recruitment and retention” as a top challenge. It’s hard to find and keep skilled professionals when critical supporting teams keep shrinking.
In this David vs. Goliath battle, automation is the smart shot that puts IT back in control. That’s why more companies are turning to Managed Mobility Services (MMS) to streamline and automate end-to-end – like one of our customers, Velaspan. Before Tangoe, their IT team spent 32 hours a month managing devices. Today, it takes just one hour per month – with continuous cost optimization via AI-powered mobile expense management.
The BYOD Backpedal: 65% of Orgs Agree Corp-liable is More Secure
Tangoe’s experts predict 2025 will mark the beginning of the end for bring-your-own-device (BYOD) models as more enterprises return to corporate-liable devices and stay there.
The biggest driver is security. Data breaches are more expensive than ever, averaging $4.88 million in 2024 – far greater than the perceived savings of skipping hardware purchases. Our experts often see companies that adopt BYOD reverse course once the hidden costs and risks come to light.
An MMS solution like Tangoe One Mobile helps simplify the shift back to corp-liable without blowing budget. From automating logistics and provisioning to enforcing policy compliance and managing device returns, the platform streamlines every step of the process through onboarding, active use, and end-of-life – saving 20-30% across the device lifecycle.
Beware the Illusion of Choice
Mobile pricing has officially hit a wall of sameness. Consolidation and inflation have blurred distinctions between carrier offers, making pricing look eerily alike. The real differences are buried in details like premium data thresholds, hidden fees, and restrictive contracts.
To avoid overpaying, mobility leaders need to dig deep or bring in experts like Tangoe’s consultants who can benchmark pricing, expose cost traps, and negotiate with clarity. One of our customers, a logistics leader, did just this. Tangoe reviewed their invoices line by line and benchmarked their rates against market-leading prices to gain real negotiating power. They ended up saving $400k in mobile contracts three months faster than if they were to do it themselves.
Procurement tip: Satellite-supported service is emerging as a differentiator in 2025. As carriers race to eliminate dead zones with direct-to-cell (D2C) coverage, savvy buyers may soon evaluate providers not by their tower map but by the density of their satellite partners.
The Bottom Line
Mobility budgets are under pressure, but optimization opportunities are everywhere. From eliminating zero-use devices to scaling smart with automation, there’s money to be saved if you know where to look.
If you need help sharpening your view, contact Tangoe for a free consultation. If you want to improve across the board, our 2025 IT Expense Management Trends and Savings Recommendations report is packed with expert insights and proven strategies to optimize your entire IT ecosystem.