Verizon Business unveiled a smartphone management service for mid-size businesses and enterprise customers, which it claimed marked an industry first in the US.

The Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) offering, dubbed Verizon Business Complete, offers business customers an end-to-end smartphone platform managed by the operator. It includes shipping, setup, replacement, recycling, and customer support for their employees.

The device rental-type service comes in two tariffs, premium and standard, and runs on Verizon’s 5G network. The smartphone line-up includes both Samsung and iPhone.

Iris Meijer, chief product and marketing officer for Verizon Business, told Mobile World Live customers are seeking alternatives to the bring your own device model by asking for flexible, consumption-based services.

Verizon Business Complete enables businesses to flex their tariffs up or down based on their consumption needs.

She stated another advantage of offering a DaaS platform is it frees up IT teams from device management tasks such as onboarding new phones with employees or ensuring proper security measures are in place.

Meijer explained business IT teams are faced with fragmented processes for managing and replacing employee phones.

“They often have multiple vendors and service providers, and they have high maintenance and replacement costs.”

With the operator’s Verizon Mobile Device Management capability, IT administrators can manage, track and control the mobile devices as well as prioritise security measures.

The service also reduces the cost of buying and managing smartphones for business employees. Meijer stated research shows businesses pay up to $2,000 per device over the length of a 36-month contract on management alone.

Verizon Business Complete customers can replace their phones every 24 months.

Working with an unnamed vendor, Verizon Business handles the retrieval and recycling of outgoing devices, that latter of which Meijer noted brings an element of sustainability to the service.

The DaaS programme also includes insurance coverage for loss, theft or damage as well as free, unlimited cracked screen repairs. The service is currently in a pilot phase with several customers with general availability over the coming months.