The Enterprise Mobility Gateway showcased by Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) at the CTIA show last week highlights two key concerns around enterprise mobility strategies: The need for immediate ROI, and alignment with a long-term unified communications strategy.

The gateway client performs the TDM-to-VOIP conversion that lets mobile users integrate their cellular devices with the corporate VOIP network, delivering up-front cost-savings, as well as enabling enterprises to avoid holding their unified communications plans hostage to key vendors' shifting strategies.

Ericsson estimates that its approach can reduce cell phone costs by about 30%, thanks to its unique dynamic least-cost routing capability, which works as follows: Suppose a U.S. cell phone user calls a colleague in Germany.

A client on the cell phone recognizes the call is international and routes it to the gateway connected to the company's nearest IP PBX. From there, the PBX sends the call across the IP backbone to the company's IP PBX in Germany, where a local call is launched.

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