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Telecommunications giant Sprint reached out to its small and midsize business customers with a refresh of and new additions to its Biz 360 solutions, including smartphones like the HTC Evo 4G LTE handset, applications, and 3G/4G embedded wireless devices such as the Sierra Wireless 4G LTE Tri-Fi Hotspot. Businesses can customize and buy Sprint Biz 360 packages online via the companys Website and get assistance from Sprint Small Business experts, who can provide needs assessment, help select the right product and more fully develop a tailored solution.
Other products include the Square Card Reader to facilitate mobile transactions. Users plug the device into their Apple iPhone or Google Android-powered smartphones and can then accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express credit cards on the go, albeit with a 2.75 percent swipe rate. The device costs $9.99, but the application is free for iOS and Android devices.
Companies can promote safe driving with the FleetSafer Mobile application, which is aimed at small businesses with company vehicles. It includes a Web portal tied to the application, which allows a business to define and enforce custom safety policies and acquire information about driving habits. The app restricts text and email, but fleet managers can enable hands-free operation of phones, as well as silence inbound alerts. The service costs $5.99 per month, alongside a one-time setup fee per device.
Introduced last summer, the program also includes hardware offerings like the 11.6-inch high-definition Lenovo IdeaPad S205s featuring a built-in webcam and VeriFace facial-recognition technology, ZTE Optik tablet, powered by Android and offering 3G and WiFi connectivity, and software management solutions, including specialized IT care, productivity solutions, connectivity backup solutions, wireless connectivity like Sprint Direct Connect and wireline solutions like Sprint Phone Connect.
Sprint is also focusing on small-business flexibility through its Business Device Select program, which enables small businesses to buy or upgrade to popular devices for their corporate-liable account; rate plans that let small businesses pool and share minutes among co-workers; and a buyback program, even if the phones are from other carriers. The company said some buybacks can result in credits as high as $250.
Cutting through the complications of buying communications gear is a challenge for small businesses, Jaime Jones, senior vice president of Sprints consumer sales division, said in a prepared statement. Sprint stepped up with Sprint Biz 360 last summer to make it easier. Demand continues to be strong for individual Sprint Biz 360 features and full-on bundles, so were refreshing the portfolio with new offers and services to continue to make it appealing.