Rermag 5105 Technology260768555 1
Rermag 5105 Technology260768555 1
Rermag 5105 Technology260768555 1
Rermag 5105 Technology260768555 1
Rermag 5105 Technology260768555 1

3C and BYOD Trends Point to New Ways of Communicating with Renters

May 1, 2015

For decades, rental operators controlled how they interacted with customers through traditional channels such as phone calls, jobsite visits and the rental counter. Then came web-based customer experiences, including online reservations, shopping cart applications for consumer rentals, and self-service portals. This grew into an emphasis on extending connectivity through mobile devices and remote data capture.

Today, the next generation of connectivity is already on the horizon. Two burgeoning trends are shaping how all sectors of the public – including your customers – will expect to access information and services. These trends are the rapid merging of consumer, computer and communication devices (3C convergence), and “bring your own device” (BYOD). 

3C Convergence

The iPhone is the most recognizable example of 3C connectivity. This one device harnesses the technologies of telecommunications, computer networking and media broadcasting. The intersection of these three domains, together with broadening bandwidths, make it possible to transmit multimedia content, including streaming audio and video.

As a rental operator, I’m sure you can imagine some of the potential applications. On-demand video streaming of equipment demonstrations for contractors; live texting support for onsite event coordinators; and iPhone-playable audio notes incorporated into equipment inspection reports are just a few possibilities that come to mind.

The bandwidth required by the “grand integrations” of 3C, such as mobile entertainment, is key because so much of 3C activity is based on sharing content across domains. If you text a contractor a link to a safety video, your customer should be able to view it on a handheld device, forward it to a desktop system in the office, and broadcast it to workers as an online training tool.

Of course, 3C devices are already being employed in rental applications such as electronic signature capture, driver tracking and automated alerts. Today, rental salespeople can use apps on mobile devices to check inventory availability and rates, and flow this information directly into a quotation or reservation; take time-stamped and geo-stamped photos to document equipment condition; and communicate between dispatch and drivers. But even with these significant developments, we’ve just seen the early edge of possibilities for our industry.

Bring Your Own Device

BYOD is a term that refers to a company’s policy of allowing its employees to use their personal mobile and laptop devices to access business networks, including business data. As with 3C convergence, the BYOD trend is all about connectivity: connecting smartphones, tablets and desktops through a consistent user experience. This has shown promise as a way to speed up communications, in part because workers are using devices they have chosen personally.

Security needs to be managed closely when personal devices access business networks. If the BYOD trend proves to have staying power, you can expect to see companies employ security levels such as unlimited data access; non-sensitive data access; and business control of personal devices. In addition, companies with BYOD policies often prohibit data download and storage on personal devices, which effectively limits access to “eyes only.”

BYOD may seem somewhat removed from the rental environment at this time – but if the past two decades have taught us anything, it’s “never say never” when it comes to technology. While BYOD is still a very young trend, it has shown promising results in areas such as employee collaboration, information sharing, and instant messaging for issue resolution.

For example, in a large rental operation, an urgent customer service failure can involve many different employees. You may need to reach employees who are at the front counter, in the back office, in the shop, in the field, on the road, at home and even on vacation. You may need to hold a group call, transmit video or share data from the business network. With BYOD, employees’ personal devices become the channel for rapid access to a solution, no matter where they are.

While BYOD is still a foreign concept to many companies, 3C convergence is very present – and it has created a wide-open playing field for industries. Going forward, the value will lie in focusing 3C capabilities on specific types of customer experiences. The rental environment provides ample opportunity to meet the expectations of renters in an increasingly 3C world.

J.J. Shea is director of operations for InTempo Software Inc.