Ask A&I » Industry Related News

Cell Phone Safety and Equipment Costs

errin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:19:07 +0000

As more states, counties, and municipalities ban or limit cell phone use while driving, beware the effect on equipment costs. When California enacted legislation in 2008 the number of bluetooth headsets increased substantially. This can be a challenge in an enterprise, where users may tolerate a wiped down phone, but usually will not re-use a headset that has been deep in someone else’s ear canal. There are multiple options for managing those costs. If you buy through your cell phone provider, it will show up as equipment cost.

AT&T Job Cuts; A Deafening Silence in the Media

bob — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:48:51 +0000

Recently, a friend of mine who works at big blue told me on the quiet that AT&T had a major reduction in force – like 10%. I checked it out with a few other sources within AT&T in different cities and it appears to be true. In the first few days of November, as the word goes, managers were calling employees to let them know if they made it or not. Apparently, several weeks before when AT&T was sharing its earnings internally, the word was that there would be big cuts coming before the end of the year. Well…

Interestingly, both Sprint and Verizon have been steadily releasing their numbers in drips and drabs over the last few months. Perhaps the media has lost its appetite for this kind of news. Anyone left out in the cold who can confirm this?

By the way, my condolences to anyone who got shook out of the trees.

IS BEATING UP ON THE VENDOR REALLY ALL THAT PRODUCTIVE? – React

errin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:24:24 +0000

If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, Bob posted an article in the resources section on “beating up on the vendor’ found here. As you might expect, a lot of Telecom Expense Management companies have weighed in on this subject. I’ve heard several TEM vendors tell of their expertise in this area. Bob makes some good points on how this can be counterproductive if you do not use this strategy wisely.

Our focus has always been to bridge the gap and heal the relationship. Imagine you went to a relationship counselor, and all they did is argue with you or your significant other. No doubt the only resolution would be separation. Sometimes separating from your vendor is in your best interest, but this should be carefully considered. From the article: “It is easy to let emotions get the better of sound judgment.” In personal relationship, emotions are involved, but in business relationships it is best to handle those emotions so they do not override good decision-making. The article provides greater detail than I can provide in this small space, so please take 5 minutes and read it if you haven’t already. We’d love to hear your comments on the article.
http://www.auditsandinvestigations.com/resources/

Skype transaction trumpeting a return to DotCom innovation?

errin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:14:51 +0000

When Private Equity group Silver Lake purchased a large portion of Skype Technologies earlier this week, a ripple went through the technology community. Could this be a sign of further cash infusions into the technology sector which has been struggling, as a whole, since the dotcom bubble burst almost 10 years ago.? It is said that necessity is the mother of invention, but it is capital that makes that innovation a finished, enterprise class product. During what I like to call “The Golden Age” of IT, just before Y2K, there seemed to be no end to the ideas that were being developed. Some of these ideas were good and some were bad – real bad.

Innovation means more choices. More choices usually means better value. If your organization is set to take advantage of new technology you are in a great position to leverage your legacy providers with your innovative providers. While Skype would probably not be considered business class just yet, anyone who has used it knows that theprotocols used deliver outstanding voice quality, and the service is so easy that Grandmothers can use it to talk to their grandchildren. Innovations like Skype, Android, UWB, and others may change the way we work in a few years. Keep an eye out on this development as it may yield benefits for you in the near future.