Lately, some companies want to use smart phones for their employees. The purpose of using smart phones in the company is to develop the efficiency of employees’ work. In this article, there are two different view points about using smart phones in a company.


Pro


Lately, several companies have launched a lot of new smart phones. Smart phones, which add PDA functions to general mobile phones, make lots of functions possible. Because of their convenient functions, they can increase work efficiency and convenience. For these reasons, many companies are giving their employees smart phones. I think that providing smart phones to employees is helpful for a company.

First, smart phones expedite communication between employees. Employees communicate with each other at any time through the messenger programs of smart phones because smart phones can use the Internet everywhere. If employees use messenger in a company, the connection fee can be reduced. Using applications like Cacao Talk, employees register their IDs, and they can see employees’ ideas. Cacao Talk is free, so if employees use Cacao Talk instead of regular call functions, it reduces the connection fee. Also knowledge or data can be shared conveniently through smart phones. Green Cross, a pharmaceutical company, made the Green Cross Cafe, which provides professional information and medical information that is necessary for salespeople. By giving smart phones to employees who are in charge of a complaint department or customer care line, a company can check questions anywhere.

Second, a company can usually make an application that is suitable for its work, so employees can work efficiently by using smart phone applications, for example, Sales Force Mobile application. If someone is a salesperson, this application is useful. Employees can check business associates’ information, stocks, and margins easily. Employees can check that information immediately, so it is very useful. A representative of Hanmi Company said that they are developing applications that are suitable for sales, and their goal is to increase work efficiency by developing office applications.

Third, we can use smart phones whenever we need to revise papers like reports and contracts. We can use document-making applications, for example, Onenote. When we must revise important documents like contracts on the way to a meeting with another company’s officials, smart phones make it possible.

SK Chemical, Korea Green Cross Corporation, Daewoo Stock, and Kolong Group are providing smart phones to employees. Giving smart phones upgrades work efficiency, so it will be beneficial for companies.




Con


Smart phones have many functions like a computer. With smart phones, we can make a report using Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel. We can use the Internet and find a lot of information at any time. Smart phones have lots of merits. Therefore, many Korean companies give their employees smart phones to use the functions in the process of work. However, I think giving employees smart phones has to be considered more carefully.

First of all, smart phones can disturb the work efficiency of employees because there are so many entertaining functions, for example, the Internet. Employees get some news by using the Internet and they want to know more. Therefore, they can’t concentrate on their work. Also smart phones sometimes have some errors such as disconnecting from wireless Internet, screen turning white, and bad quality telephone conversation. Employees’ work is disturbed by temporary errors.

Second, smart phones can leak a company’s classified information. Someone who wants to know the company’s information can use wireless Internet whenever he or she wants. They can use the Internet to hack a smart phone by using malicious code. For example, lately one stock information company gained some personal information through a smart phone application. Therefore, companies which decide to give employees smart phones should reconsider it.

Third, employees’ cell phone fees are higher than before because smart phones’ fees are higher than others. The basic payment is also higher than others. Lots of people who use smart phones suffer from a smart phone’s additional fees.

Smart phones are a modern convenience, but there are lots of weak points which do not help employees. Precautions should be made to prevent weak points.