How do you know when it is time for a new contract, or to contemplate moving your services to someone else?  Don’t rely on a rough date.  Know your contract.

Many contracts have automatic renewals or specific procedures that must be followed to prevent auto renewal.  Some take it for granted that dates negotiated on their last RFP made it into the contract, this is often not so.  Always check your contracts and know the procedures, dates, and revenue commitments agreed upon.

Some jump the gun and turn the incumbent provider into an enemy before knowing the particulars of how to discontinue their agreement.  It is also important to consider the time and resources necessary to move to another provider.  Know your dates and plan in advance.  Staying one step ahead of your providers will help you to negotiate the best deals.

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.