How
SMEs and Business Owners can Benefit from an Enterprise Mobile Plan
This post was written in collaboration with M1 SINGAPORE. While we're financially compensated by them, we nevertheless endeavor to maintain our editorial integrity - which means reviews are free from all biases and all views expressed in this article are independent opinions.
Employees are increasingly using
mobile phones and other personal mobile devices while working, which is a
result of the recent transition to remote or hybrid work.
This
has led to all of us becoming more reliant on our cellphones, as we utilize
them for basic daily tasks such as email communication with clients and
coworkers.It has thus become an
important tool for business owners to have enterprise mobile plans that offer
discounts for business calls and data usage. As business owners, we are always looking for ways to save money
and increase efficiency. In this day and age, with borders reopening, it is more
important than ever to have an enterprise mobile plan that can help us stay
connected even as we travel.
With so many options available, it can be hard to decide which plan is right
for your business. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of enterprise
mobile plans and how they can help you save money while you're on the go!
An enterprise mobile plan is a type of mobile plan that is designed for businesses. It offers features and benefits that are not available with other types of plans, such as unlimited calls, texts and bundled data roaming. It typically offers more features and benefits than a standard phone plan and can be customized to meet the specific needs of your business.
Criteria to choose a suitable Enterprise Mobile
Plan
When it comes to choosing the right enterprise mobile plan for your business, there are a few factors you will need to consider. The first thing you need to ask yourself is how often you will be using your phone while traveling. If you only need it for emergencies, then a basic plan may be all you need. However, if you will be using your phone regularly to stay in touch with clients or customers, then you may need a more robust plan that offers unlimited data and calling.
1.Local Talk time & SMS - Do your employees consume a lot of local talk time and SMS to communicate with your customers?
If your employees frequently use their mobile phones to communicate with customers, then you will need a plan that offers unlimited local talk time and SMS. This will allow them to stay connected without having to worry about running up a large phone bill.
2.Data - If your line of work requires employees to work on the go often or overseas, then you'll need a mobile plan that offers a large data bundle and data roaming.
This will not only allow your employees to stay connected, but also remain productive while being away from the office.
3.Data Roaming Charges and Coverage - For SMEs employees who travel frequently for business across borders, do you pay per day data roaming fees? What are the countries that are covered by your current data roaming plan?
4.SIM Only Plan - Do you require business phones and SIMs for your employees, or does a SIM-only plan suffice? Often, a SIM-only plan is much cheaper than a Phone + SIM plan. But in this instance, SME owners might not have control of company's data stored on employees' personal phones and some employees might not like the idea of mixing their personal phone with business.
5. Business Continuity - Is there a preference
for your business to keep your employees’ personal and business phones separate
as a precaution against identity theft, hacking, and other security concerns?
With each employee
having his or her own dedicated corporate SIM card, this means that when they
quit, the SIM card / mobile phone is simply returned to the company, and all
data and information stored in the company's phone can be passed to the new
employee. This will help to ensure that there is no delay in existing
communication with their suppliers or customers.
6.Simplified Billing - It's not unusual for businesses to provide mobile subsidies. On top of the daily meeting with clients for salespeople, it could be a hassle to submit these expenses one by one on a timely basis. With a unified billing, one can simply retrieve the information.
7.Corporate Individual Scheme (CIS) - To qualify for CIS, which can be enjoyed by the staff immediate family members, SMEs need to fulfill a certain number of staff. For example, Singtel requires 200 staff, while *M1 does not have a minimum qualifying employees headcount.
*Terms and Conditions apply
Hence, consult your telco on whether your firm can qualify for the CIS status, as the plans are offered at a discounted rate, and companies under CIS can enjoy more perks.
BEST
ENTERPRISE MOBILE PLANS
EM3+ 5G/EM 12+ 5G/ EMX+ 5G
M1 is the only telco that offers unlimited Local Talk Time & SMS + *5G (Fair usage policy applies) for all their Enterprise Mobile Plans even if you subscribe to their cheapest EM3+5G plan ($39.70/mth).
*Amongst all the Telco services, M1 is the only one that provides 5G service even for their basic plan.
Comparison with Singtel & Starhub
Best Local Talk time & SMS Telco
Singtel's Unlimited Local Talk Time and SMS plan only kicks in when one subscribes to their Singtel Enterprise E5 plan ($244.90), while their cheapest plan, which is the Enterprise E1 plan ($39.70), is capped at 200 minutes outgoing/ 60 local SMS.
While Starhub's Biz+ Lite plan ($54.00) is their cheapest plan, it is capped at 600 mins outgoing / 200 SMS (local), and their highest plan, Biz+ Pro, is capped at 10,000 mins outgoing/ 3,000 SMS (local).
M1 is a clear winner in the Local Talk time
& SMS comparison, as their cheapest EM3+ 5G plan ($39.70) offers unlimited
Local Talk time & SMS usage.
Best Data Roaming Telco
Data roaming might be costly, and even the tiniest amount of overseas data usage could result in an enormous bill shock when you return. Thus, for SME owners or their employees who travel frequently for business, one of the main considerations is data roaming.
Singtel Enterprise Mobile Plan does not extend any Data Roaming package and data has to be purchased, which are chargeable per day under their DataRoam packages. It ranges between 2GB at $15 (30 days) for Asia countries and 3GB worldwide at $30 (30 days), or for frequent travelers, one can subscribe to their Enterprise EasyData Roam packages that start at $139 per month.
Starhub data roaming starts at Biz+ Premium and Biz+ Pro, which carry 2GB for Asia Pacific Countries.
M1's base plan EM3+ 5G is
different from the competition in that it comes with a 3GB data roaming limit
from the start.
Do note that data
roaming limits form part of your total Local Data limit. For example, if you
have an EM3+ 5G plan with 13GB and use 3GB of your data roaming limit, you will
only have 10GB for local data.
If you exceed your monthly data allotment, M1 will not charge you more than $5.35 per 1GB, regardless of whether you use it locally or roam. This contrasts with Singtel, which charges $10.70 per 1GB for local data above the plan's limit and their roaming limit charges vary, depending on the Data Roaming package one subscribed.
Best Local Data Telco
For the base plan, Singtel does not provide local data and begins at 2GB for their Enterprise E2 ($45.90), and the highest tier plan, Enterprise E5 ($244.90), is limited to 13GB.
Starhub's base plan, Biz+Lite ($54.00) starts at a very generous 30GB and their highest tier plan Biz+ Pro ($233.20) offers up to 130GB data.
Doing an apple to apple comparison of similar price range of $40-60+ for enterprise mobile plans, M1 EM12+ 5G ($58.10) provides Up to 40GB, Singtel Enterprise E2 ($45.90) provides Up to 2GB and Singtel Enterprise E3 ($67.90) provides Up to 4GB, while Starhub Biz+ Lite ($54) provides Up to 30GB.
M1 EM12+ 5G offers better value for moneyat 40GB for similar price plans and they are
the only one that offer unlimited local datafor their highest tier EMX+
($127.40)
Conclusion:Depending on your Business usage needs, M1 is the clear winner when it comes to enterprise mobile plans. We appreciate the fact that they have streamlined it to three plans comprising of all the benefits, such as unlimited local talk time and SMS across all three plans.
Their base plan, EM3+ 5G, offers unlimited local talk time and SMS, as well as a 3GB data roaming limit, which is more than what Singtel and Starhub offer.
To summarize, an enterprise mobile plan from M1 will offer you:
- Unlimited local talk time and SMS
- Free data roaming is provided with M1 plans, whereas Singtel
and Starhub must be purchase separately
- The option of unlimited local data usage
In addition, their higher-tier plans come with
even more benefits, such as unlimited local data.
Did we
also mention that the M1 Corporate Individual Scheme* has no minimum employee
qualification criteria? Yes, by signing up for the CIS program, businesses with
fewer than 5 employees can benefit from discounted corporate rates.
*Terms and Conditions apply
To apply or enquire for M1 Enterprise Mobile Plan, clickhere
BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK
FOR SOLOPRENEUR AND START-UP FOUNDER
SIMBA Business
Plan AND SIMBA SuperRoam- SIM Only
At a glance,SIMBAseems to be the
most value-for-money with their cheap monthly subscription rates, and a very
generous 100GB local data (For SIMBA SuperRoam) and 10 GB data roaming limit
(For SIMBA SuperRoam)
But do note that this is a SIM-only
plan, which is great for Solopreneur or start-up founders who do not
require much call minutes (500 local fixed line minutes), SMS (200 local) and
handphone sets for their employees. For enterprise business owners with a team
of employees, you'll need to consider other enterprise mobile plans that can
offer you more features and benefits.
What are the requirements to sign up for
an Enterprise Mobile Plan?
Setting up a business mobile plan is also simple. All commercial
plans provided by Telcos need a local registered company.
Documents
Required
The company owner's or authorized officers’ identification
document and the corresponding ACRA profile are all that is required
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