GKW monitors their tablets with Device Manager

Fatih Yedikapi works as an IT manager for Gentse Kabelwerken (GKW), one of Belgium’s leading cabling work contractors. He is responsible for IT and telecom but other tasks such as HR are also under his responsibility. A workforce of 170, primarily made of workers and their foremen, carry out cabling, sewage work and roadworks. The employees use approximately fifty tablets and a dozen smartphones. Thanks to the Shape mobile data and telephony - most cards use the Shape Intense formula - they remain connected when they’re on the go.

Security, efficiency and cost savings

Fatih Yedikapi attaches great importance to using the company’s mobile devices for professional purposes and nothing else. The tablets Gentse Kabelwerken uses at the worksite are a worthy substitute for a computer. ‘All worksite managers have one of these devices and the teams that are active at the site also have a tablet at their disposal,’ says Yedikapi. ‘Thanks to Device Manager from Orange, we can keep tabs on what’s installed on the devices. Security is the main reason for using this application. Thanks to Device Manager, the tablets are never exposed to dodgy software,’ he continues.

But other aspects such as control and cost savings also come into play. ‘We have found that blocking certain applications, such as YouTube, makes a huge difference in data consumption.’ The available data volume is kept for business applications. The Gentse Kabelwerken tablets are linked to the company’s ERP system, enabling personnel to upload pictures detailing the progress of the work. ‘On site, they also use a number of government apps. For example, in our line of work, you always have to be aware of what you’ll find under the ground. We use an app to help with that.’

Productivity and reporting

In addition to security, control and efficiency, Fatih Yedikapi says using Device Manager is also a question of productivity. ‘In the past mobile data was sometimes used to stream music or watch football games. That is not what these company devices are for; we want to keep the data volume available for the cabling works,’ he explains.

Another asset is the reporting feature. ‘Device Manager gives me insight into how the tablet fleet is being used. For example, I can see if a device is no longer in use or, in case of loss or theft, I can erase the company data on the device remotely. In other words, this management application gives me great peace of mind.’