Why companies should monitor employee mobile data use

Enterprise mobility is becoming more common as companies continue to equip their employees with mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, or allow them to bring personally owned technology from home. When doing so, however, it's important that mobility managers and IT departments keep a close eye on mobile data usage.

Unlimited data contracts are quickly becoming extinct, as only Sprint still offers truly endless access to mobile data in the United States. As a result, companies must beware of employees surpassing their monthly data allotments, which translates into costly overage charges levied by a service provider.

It goes the other way as well, as funds are wasted when employees don't come close to using the amount of data allocated as part of their contracts. Paying for data that goes unused is just as bad as going over, as many providers don't allow leftovers to be rolled over to the next month.

By closely monitoring how employees use data, as well as how much, a company can get a better feel for which type of voice calling and data plans it should implement.