Part 2: User Management

In this part, we will highlight a mundane but yet important part of User/Account Managment features that the IT manager or Operations Managers will need.

Enterprise Applications typically differ from consumer apps in the user management space as companies expect a certain level of control. This control is even more important when the users might not be that experienced with apps on smartphones.
Having employees leave or changes in a department usually also requires a change in access control. This needs to be managed by the administrator rather than the user as the company wants to ensure it can be done without the co-operation of the user.

New User Sign Up
For Walkie Talkie Apps, users of course need an account to identify themselves. However not all of the Walkie Talkie Users have corporate Email accounts. Because of the nature of work they do, they did not require an email address previously.

Thus a sign up flow requiring email address would be a significant issue. The company also has to pay for an email address that is rarely use.This would seem to be a travestry to IT folks who are accustomed to having multiple email address that are also free but it is important to make it easy for users accounts to be created without email addresses.
Most consumer apps use phone number with SMS verification for new user sign up. Again this is another issue for the IT manager when they need to create many users or import the staff list. The phone number also assumes every co-worker has a corporate phone number which is not the case.
In the Communication system that you buy, ensure that you can create new users without depending on email address or phone numbers.

Company Directory
Consumer communication apps auto match you with your friends by scanning your address book or Facebook login. This makes it easy to find someone that you want to speak to.
Enterprise Apps however certainly do not expect you to “make friends” with all your colleagues or have their contact numbers saved. Instead Enterprise Apps should have a directory of all the personnel using the same app and created by your Administrator. When you login to your new app, all the possible users should already be added for you without needing to send connection request.
More advance systems should allow you to integrate to existing company directory systems like ActiveDirectory or Google Work Contacts.

Group/Channel Management
Walkie Talkies are great for Group Broadcast. However company administrators need to have the ability to remove group members when required. This is often the case when users resign or change departments.
Walkie Talkie Apps should allow official and unofficial groups. Official groups are rigidly controlled by company adminstration. Unofficial groups would be more akin to consumer chat apps groups where users can be added and removed by their own preference.

Shared Devices
Devices like Walkie Talkies are shared across multiple people in different shifts. Thus one user account might not be sufficient. Users expect to pick up their device from a colleague, login and start their work day where they left off yesterday.

Consumer Apps typically assume that the account is personal and that the device is only used by you. Logout buttons are hard to find as they want to you stick around forever. And once you do logout, all your data is erased.
If you are sharing devices, look for Apps that allow multiple sign-in on a device without destroying your colleague's data who will use the device after your shift.

In Part 3, we will explore "Billing & Deployment". Visit us at www.2waytomobile.com/ to see how VoicePing can benefit your Organization.