In his new book “Tell To Win”, famed Hollywood film producer Peter Guber shares one of the key secrets of successful persuasion: You have to tell a relevant and compelling story.

Guber should know. He sold the ideas behind movies that would go on to become award-winning blockbusters including Rain Man, The Color Purple and Midnight Express. He would later go on to become chairman of Sony Pictures. As Guber puts it in his “Tell To Win” book, stories “have always been igniters of action, moving people to do things. But only recently has it become clear that purposeful stories—those created with a specific mission in mind—are absolutely essential in persuading others to support a vision, dream or cause.”

You’ve decided to invest in mobile devices to meet your college or university mission and empower key stakeholders. So how should you go about evaluating potential mobile solution vendors? What kinds of questions do you need answered to ensure your technology investments deliver maximum returns?

There’s certainly a lot at stake.

Mobile devices, after all, are the entry point to a world of applications, content and computing capabilities. The ability of users—be they faculty, students, or others—to perform will be directly determined by the devices they have in hand (and how those devices perform). That’s why it’s critical to be fully informed when engaging prospective vendors to ensure your investments are solid.

Let’s consider a few of the most important questions you can ask mobile technology vendors on your short-list:

In a late 2011 interview with Campus Technology, the CIO at DePauw University, Carol Smith, said IT has “shifted from being the central entity on campus that provides and manages … to [the department] whose most powerful function is to act as a connector and an enabler.”

As students and faculty bring their own personal computers on campus, IT leaders in higher education need to focus on how to provide the necessary infrastructure support and security protections. As Ronald Danielson, vice provost for information services and CIO at Santa Clara University, says: “We’re far beyond the point where use of personally owned devices can be controlled.”

Here are just a few ways IT leaders in higher education can manage the risks associated with diverse consumer PCs:

If you’re responsible for educational technology at a college or university, you’re already very aware that mobile technology is popular among your students. You’re also likely already interested in capitalizing on these devices to augment their education and advance your institution’s strategic objectives—from attracting talent to propelling the school’s growth.