As new technology rolls out, some older technology can be left behind, potentially leaving businesses unsupported or even disconnected with equipment they have used and even taken for granted for years.

It seems hard to believe, but 4G mobile networks have now been around for nearly a decade. However, many businesses are still relying on 3G networks for voice and data communications on their enterprise mobile devices.

This is certainly understandable given the investment they’ve made in those devices and the fact that their hardware wasn’t manufactured to support 4G or 4G LTE networks.

However, all of this will soon change because major network service providers are beginning to shut down their support for 3G networks and devices.

• Verizon has already announced that it will end support for 3G devices on its network on Dec 31, 2019.
• AT&T stopped permitting new 3G devices from entering its certification lab in June of 2019. This means device manufacturers can no longer develop new devices with 3G AT&T network support. Industry analysts expect that AT&T will soon follow this up with an official announcement that it will shut down its 3G network support.
• T-Mobile CTO Nerville Ray told the Mobile World Congress in early 2017 that the company wants to end 3G support in 2019.

As these developments make clear, the entire wireless industry is expected to abandon 3G in the near future, leaving 4G and 4G LTE as the only viable options for wireless cellular business communications.

It has begun already.  We have noticed that some of our customers with national deployments have brought to our attention that some of their 3G network devices work fine in some areas, but suddenly stopped working in other areas.

Adding to this phase-out is the looming end of all Microsoft support for its Windows Embedded operating systems. Support for these will end within the next two years, meaning that businesses running older hardware with these legacy operating systems will no longer receive any security patches.

To make sure your business isn’t left behind without crucial networking capabilities and proper OS security, it’s vital to develop a strategy and upgrade your devices within the next year.

Upgrading to 4G LTE with Zebra’s Enterprise Android Devices

At omniQ, we’re recommending that our customers take the opportunity to address both the 3G and Windows mobile phase-outs by upgrading to enterprise 4G LTE Android devices, such as those from Zebra Technologies.

We recommend Zebra’s enterprise Android devices for a number of reasons. These include the transformative benefits of 4G networking, Zebra’s superior device capabilities and performance, and the simplicity of device management and device security.

Benefits of Migrating to 4G LTE

• Greater network coverage
• 10x faster data streaming
• Shorter latency times
• Simultaneous voice and data
• Crisper, clearer voice quality on VoLTE
• Continuation of service via SIM card

Benefits of Migrating to Zebra Android Devices

• Sleek, rugged devices built for enterprise use
• The latest productivity-boosting capabilities
• Modern touch screens with user-friendly interfaces
• Rapid-fire processors and intelligent scanners
• Powerful enterprise security with Zebra device management
• Over-the-air updates and security upgrades
• Easy app redevelopment and migration from Windows
• Familiar Android OS with shorter training requirements
• Choice of touch computers, smartphones, or tablets

The latest Zebra products for LTE support include the TC75x touch computer, TC56 touch computer, TC25 rugged smartphone, and the ET55 enterprise tablet.

Each is designed to combine enterprise computing power and Android ease of use with ultra-fast and reliable 4G LTE networking to deliver voice, data, scanning and application performance, that revolutionizes worker productivity and efficiency.  Consumer grade devices just don’t stand up to the daily work environment nor efficiency of operations required by today’s businesses.

To learn more about these Zebra devices and help you develop the right 3G and OS migration plan for your business, contact our exerts at omniQ Solution. Call us at 1-800-242-7272 or email us now.