Managing $34 billion in IT spending gives you a front-row view into the true story behind rising IT expenditures—where overspending runs rampant, how market pricing is evolving, and where the biggest cost optimization opportunities lie.
In the 2025 edition of Tangoe’s report, IT Expense Management Trends and Savings Recommendations, our team of 60 technology cost-management consultants review the latest market price intelligence, common spending habits, and savings trends from the previous year. Their insights, drawn from hundreds of cost-optimization projects across many industries, uncover actionable tips to help IT, financial, and procurement teams maximize their technology investments. Dive in to discover wasteful practices in technology management, tactical money- saving tips, ways to uncover the best deals, and strategies for making more informed purchasing decisions in the year ahead.
A lack of visibility into devices is eating away at mobile budgets. In 2024, Tangoe found that usage optimization was among the top ways our clients preserved their mobility budgets. With more devices to manage and increasing trends in employee turnover as companies shift their remote work policies, it’s easy to lose track of corporate equipment and usage.
To capitalize on this opportunity, waste must be identified. Devices must be accounted for, inventories need to be updated, and usage data audits should ensure every piece of hardware is contributing value–defining precisely how many smartphones, tablets, and laptops are truly active. Visibility and control reduce expenses by identifying devices you shouldn’t be paying for, deactivating unused devices, and fully utilizing existing resources. Similarly, companies can avoid unnecessary costs by repossessing hardware when devices aren’t needed. Repossession was a popular way to recover costs in previous years.
Corporate policies around device ownership have been fluctuating since the 2020 Pandemic, but over the past two years, Tangoe has seen a distinct movement toward corporate-owned devices. Corporate-liable approaches are becoming the preferred strategy due to an increase in mobile cybersecurity risks and higher data breach costs, which can quickly outweigh the savings of avoiding any hardware purchases. The global average cost of a data breach in 2024 was $4.88M—a 10% increase over 2023 and the highest total ever.
Tangoe finds that those who switch to a BYOD model often return quickly to corporate liable, thus losing time, effort, and money too. These changes can be a significant source of productivity losses for IT teams and mobility managers. In fact, Tangoe has predicted that 2025 will be the beginning of the end for BYOD.