Three keys to worry-free business travel

In today’s global market, international travel is an essential part of doing business.

According to recent research from Business Travel News, companies will spend $1.7 trillion on business travel by 2021—up from $1.3 trillion in 2016.

Meanwhile, advances in technology mean travel expectations have evolved, especially when it comes to mobility. Employees want to work on the road the same way they work from a home office. Maintaining productivity while abroad requires simple, worry-free use of their preferred mobile devices and business apps.

The right communications tools make business travelers self-reliant—so they can focus on important tasks instead of looking for a decent WiFi connection.

Here are three ways employers can keep corporate travelers connected and productive while they’re on the road:

1. Help employees achieve their goals, wherever they are

Employees don’t just travel for fun. They have objectives to achieve, such as impressing a new client or gaining valuable knowledge at a conference. To reach these goals, they need their communications tools to work for them.

For example, predictable roaming rates allow business travelers to use voice, text and data minutes without worrying about high roaming charges. That way, they can focus on their agenda instead of looking for a decent WiFi connection so they can check their email.

2. Empower employees to be as productive on the road as they are at home

Employees want to be self-reliant and ready for anything. For example, if a senior executive travels to a client’s office in New York, she will need a wireless plan that provides fast access to her important data. She shouldn’t have to wait for a technician to grant her access to her client’s network so she can pull up the files or sites needed for the meeting.

With a dependable wireless plan and predictable roaming rates, employees can be self-reliant and free to focus on their projects, instead of worrying about connectivity. Meanwhile, you can cut your company’s travel expenses while keeping your road warriors productive.

3. Keep company data secure

Business travelers often rely on WiFi for basic connectivity. According to a report by Norton, 46 percent of users “can’t wait more than a few minutes” before logging into a WiFi network when they are in popular travel locations, such as hotels and cafes. But how do you keep corporate data secure when logging into a public WiFi network increases your security risks? As the Norton study also found, 87 percent of mobile device users have put their data at risk when using a public WiFi network.

Enterprise mobility management can keep your company’s devices secure, whether employees use them in your office or on an unsecure WiFi network. With enterprise mobility management, you control access to applications and content so unauthorized users can’t view them. You can also remotely wipe a device if you suspect it has fallen into the wrong hands.

As Business Travel News found, many companies will increase their travel spending this year.

Are you one of them?

If so, you’ll want to make the most of every dollar. This means empowering employees to work abroad the same way they would work from your home office. That way, employees will drive more business value from every trip.