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Wireless Expense Management Reporting Many medium to large organizations utilize a variety of mobile management software and wireless inventory solutions whether purchased or created internally. Specifically on the Wireless side, we see many of those companies strive to provide the managers and directors with the ability to see wireless information of the employees under their leadership, using their expense management tools. This information ranges from summary detail (employees wireless plans, usage, features, device, costs associated) to actual calling detail. This detail proves important so managers can see user spend variance, approved voice and data plans and features, see call detail as needed, validate the users that are hitting their wireless budget, and ultimately reduce telecom expenses. To get this data, it's necessary to receive the appropriate electronic reporting monthly from your wireless vendors. The major hurdle with this is that all vendor electronic reporting formats are different. This is where the expertise of the Telecom Expense Management company like Valicom can assist. We have the ability and proven expertise to take those different electronic reports from any vendor and filter them into one customized format that can be uploaded into your management system, thus allowing you to utilize this visibility for users with all of your wireless vendors. Wireless data visibility is a great way better manage your wireless expenses, and provide a clear picture of what is hitting your wireless bottom line.
Almost there. And you're probably sick of me talking about all this extra WORK I think you should do to reduce telecom expenses. But then now you know why some people give up and outsource it to a telecom audit team. But it's also why we built our new Clearview TEM software tool that we deliver via the web. It's easy to learn, not too expensive and it makes all this a whole lot easier.  But that's not what you're here to read about. So onward and upward. What's Step Five, you ask? Stepping on the smart phones. In other words - managing your wireless expenses, mobile phone management, mobile management, whatever you choose to call it. It means implementing a wireless policy. Standardize what your people can buy, what plans they can utilize, what features they have, etc. This allows you to better negotiate and track wireless costs. As your wireless device options continue to erupt, the ability to properly manage these devices and their associated costs will continue to be a challenge to all organizations. Gartner states: "Defining corporate user requirements and policy is essential for all sizes of organizations, and although every company will need a unique policy, there are key areas that every policy should contain." Wireless expense management is the current focus of most Information Technology and Telecommunication departments. To help with this task, we offer a Wireless Policy template to get you started. Stay tuned for Part Six - Talk softly but carry a big stick. Contract negotiation......
A recent issue of The Economist, the venerable British business publication, discussed the advancing threats from cyberwarfare. As if IT people don't have enough to worry about, it had some interesting statistics about infected computers out there on the international grid. Even here at home, with our higher security standards, millions of US machines are infected with something, creating mass sleeper botnets. Botnets that nasties from overseas can use to unleash chaos on our power grids, financial databases and just about anything we rely on that's delivered via the internet. Here's an interesting image that shows the distribution of infected machines. (see the whole earth map image in the article, I just included US & Europe)
 As the article says "The internet was designed for convenience and reliability, not security. Yet in wiring together the globe, it has merged the garden and the wilderness. No passport is required in cyberspace. And although police are constrained by national borders, criminals roam free... Enemy states are no longer on the other side of the ocean, but just behind the firewall. The ill-intentioned can mask their identity and location, impersonate others and con their way into the buildings that hold the digitised wealth of the electronic age: money, personal data and intellectual property."Most of this digital mayhem is wrought through malware. Lots and lots of malware. Something you need to keep OFF your employees computers, wireless and mobile devices, part of which means having a good wireless policy and a mobile management plan in place. Malware can infect a smartphone almost as easily as a dekstop PC. Here's an alarming graph of the growth of malware...  The article goes on to discuss how different governments, the US included, are amassing an army of cyberhackers to both defend our national IT infrastructure - and attack, should the need arise. I think it's an interesting discussion, because we all know that one of IT's main concerns has always been security. (and if it's not, it should be) And I feel that the services we deliver play a part in that. By implementing strong telecom expense control, it frees up IT resources for other areas, like security and business continuity. A solid telecom inventory management solution also helps keep track of everything you have, so you can identify unused or underused machines and phones, removing them from your hardware pool before they become a problem. And if you're not really sure whether you have a "tight ship" or not, maybe you need to reach out for some help. A telecom audit can usually identify 30% savings or more in your annual telecom budget. Renegotiate some contracts, get a good handle on your inventory, and then you'll really know what you have to secure. To read the rest of the Economist article, click here.
With the explosive growth of cloud computing, as we've discussed before in Cloud computing to grow at 5 times rate of traditional IT, there is also growing concern about the business practices of vendors offering such services.
Gartner recently released a list of what they feel are the "Seven Rights and Responsibilities for Cloud Computing Services". Items that cloud computing customers and vendors should agree upon. In my eye, they are sound, smart guidelines. Having worked with the financial industry for years, and being a stickler for security and good business continuity practices myself, I just see common sense here.
But it's a good list to put to any telecom expense management provider you may be working with. If your main focus is saving money through telecom expense analysis and tasks like mobile managment, you shouldn't have to spend time worrying about the security of your telecom asset and contract data. You want to ensure the solution you choose is housed in a tightly controlled, secure environment, and that you maintain ownership of your own data. Valicom understands all this, and addresses it in our security policies.
But if you want to run this by any other vendors you use, here is the list.
- The right to retain ownership, use and control one's own data
- The right to service-level agreements that address liabilities, remediation and business outcomes
- The right to notification and choice about changes that affect the service consumers' business processes
- The right to understand the technical limitations or requirements of the service up front
- The right to understand the legal requirements of jurisdictions in which the provider operates
- The right to know what security processes the provider follows
- The responsibility to understand and adhere to software license requirements
To read the full article, with details on the Seven Rights, visit the Gartner Newsroom.
Google Voice, which was until recenty in beta and only available via invitation, has been thrown open to the public. The free Google service offers some very useful features that can help your wireless crew while they are on the road. And all without raising costs. Just another creative way to reduce telecom expenses. One feature that could be very handy regards voicemail. It offers call routing options and speech-to-text transcription, which allows calls to be stored and searchable. Another feature, a single phone number that forwards calls to multiple devices, such as a users' home, work and mobile phones, is making news as it elicited an immediate lawsuit (for patent infringement) from Frontier Communications. Time will tell how that plays out in the courts. Other included options are low-rate international calling, personalized greeting messages, the ability to forward SMS messages to an e-mail account, call blocking and screening, conference calling, and mobile apps. I would say that it's worth investigating as part of your wireless expense management program. And if nothing else, you can use it yourself. I plan to.... LA
The coming wave, and how it can totally blow your telecom expense budget....
A new IDC/Unisys report shows that managing the rise of consumer devices and apps in use in the workplace is taking many IT departments by surprise. At a time of slim budgets and tight staffing, the new wave of computers, smart phones, audio players, tablets, and eBooks is adding yet another layer of complexity to an already overburdened department. Many of the remote or roaming staff using these tools, referred to as "iWorkers" "don't often differentiate among activities, devices, and applications used for work and those used for personal pursuits,'' said John Gantz, IDC chief research officer, who authored the Unisys-sponsored report, "A Consumer Revolution in the Enterprise." "The pressure on IT organizations to integrate consumer-oriented devices and applications will only increase as younger workers, who have grown up in a world of texting, social networking, and smartphones, make their mark in the workplace," said Gantz. For example, IDC is projecting that the number of employees using smartphones at work will rise from 90 million at the end of 2009 to 160 million through 2014 in enterprises with 500 or more employees. And the number of smartphones apps will hit 500,000 this year, according to the IDC research. "We're not heading toward an age of total mobility. We're essentially there,'' said Alex Manfrediz, an IDC project manager on the study. "Having mobile devices and access to information anywhere, whether WiFi or not, that is fully expected." Manfrediz said the study confirmed a lot of blurring of the lines between personal and business activities, but understanding the scope was one of the more interesting findings. "Employees are telling us they're doing it significantly and employers are aware of it but feel there is a disconnect" between the level of control and employees wanting more and more access. *
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 The data in this new report only underscores the rapid ascension of telecom expense management as a key business cost reduction factor. All those people, using all those devices and data plans, are going to blow your budget. Big time. Unless you get on top of it NOW!
It's time to implement telecom expense control NOW as part of a mobile phone management plan, including a good wireless policy. Adopting a rapidly deployable, web-based tool like Clearview, which has little to no impact on IT resources, can help save the day. Read more and check out a demo of Clearview.
* Read more on this article here...
 As if you didn't already know that a bunch of staff running around with Crackberries and iPhone envy were going to cost you a fortune. But now there is data to prove it. It's just another illustration that mobile management can be easy, but you have to focus on strategic cost reduction if you really want to minimize wireless expenses. A recent AOTMP report "The Importance of Effective Wireless Policy" found that 69 percent of enterprises have a formal wireless mobility policy in place. And that those firms with wireless mobility governance polices spent 40 percent less per user on mobile voice services.What does this mean for you? Probably that, without a wireless policy in place, the data-happy mobile staff in your organization are bleeding revenue and you don't have a band-aid. Valicom can help with that. We not only offer advice on cellular standardization to save money, but have a wireless policy template that you can use. Consider it a free band-aid. And if you're nice, we'll even give you a lollipop.
Kick the Tires, Honk the Horn, won't cost you a thing....
 We know that you'd never buy a car without checking it out, looking under the hood and taking a test drive. And while Valicom, with our twenty year history and record client satisfaction scores, isn't exactly "Honest Al" over at the local car lot, we'd still like to offer you the same courtesy. In February, we led the TEM industry by releasing our third-generation telecom audit platform Clearview as a Software-as-a-Solution (Saas), giving small to mid-sized businesses a new tool to reduce telecom expenses. It can also be used by telecom expense reduction analysts or telecom consultants to help them deliver results. Now we've made it even easier to try out Clearview by launching a short online demo, so you can see just what you're missing. And Clearview is designed to do just that - give you a " clear view" of your telecom spend. Delivered securely online, it allows you to review your telecom invoices for errors, see wireless expenses - like mobiles phones and data plans, organize all your telecom assets in one place, track changes, additions or deletions, and in general make order from chaos. And in doing so, you'll save TIME and MONEY, which is really the whole point. So if you'd like to take a test drive of Clearview, just head on over to our website and we'll give you the keys....
Last week, Valicom sponsored a webinar entitled " Can SaaS Solutions Lower Your Telecom, Network and Mobility Expense?" During this event, research was presented by The AberdeenGroup comparing mid-market vs. "best practice" companies needs and their adoption and implementation of SaaS Telecom Expense Management solutions.  One of the questions that came up by one of the attendees during the Q&A session was "How long does it take to implement Clearview (Valicom's telecom cost management software)?" The answer is contained in an earlier blog post at this link: http://blog.valicomcorp.com/blog/valicom/0/0/valicom-approach-enables-dramatically-reduced-tem-technology-implementation-timesEnjoy!
Can SaaS Solutions Lower Your Telecom, Network, and Mobility Expenses? Join Valicom and Aberdeen for this free webinar to find out!  STREAM ONLINE TODAY Over the past year, Aberdeen Group research has shown that as telecom, network, and mobility demands have become more complicated, the urgent requirement to manage and control expenses is no longer just a Fortune 500 problem. Mid-Market sized organizations have their own unique needs for agile and service-based telecom expense solutions that match their own operational flexibility and challenges. For instance, a typical company with $250 million in annual revenue with an effective Telecom Expense Management solution can achieve savings of $100,000 and a Full-Time Equivalent in support of telecom inventory, tech support, bill management, disputes, and contract management by moving from a low maturity solution to Aberdeen-defined Best-in-Class practices. Presenters:
Hyoun Park, Research Analyst, Telecom and Unified Communications
 Hyoun Park is the Research Analyst for Telecom Lifecycle Management at Aberdeen. In this role, he has benchmarked the behaviors of over a thousand organizations in Telecom Lifecycle Management and has provided strategic guidance to numerous Telecom Expense Management organizations and customers. This research practice focuses on the strategic planning, procurement, management, and enterprise usage of network, landline voice, mobility, and unified communications and includes aspects of the following topics: call accounting, business process alignment to telecom technologies, telecom procurement, telecom contract negotiation and filing, telecom and utility spend management, invoice processing, financial reporting, network management, and asset/service inventories. Nancy Peckham, CEO, Valicom  Nancy began her career in telecommunications in 1983 as an account executive with Republic Telecom, a regional long distance carrier. She was named district sales manager for the Wisconsin region in 1987 when Republic Telecom was acquired by Mid American Communications. She recognized a need for independent, objective telecommunications consulting which led her founding Valicom. Since its launch in 1991, Valicom has been a leader in providing telecom expense management solutions and serves enterprise and mid-market clients in a variety of industries and verticals across the U.S.
It's all about Mobile Management.
The days of handing a new employee the phone number to your wireless provider are long over and yet, I still see some really relaxed cellular expense management.
Standardizing the devices themselves and limiting choices of cellular phones and Blackberries will help reduce your spend and limit the dreaded "phony envy" amoung employees. And be sure to negotiate with your vendor prior to signing a contract; I love it when vendors offer a free cellular device or a Blackberry for a penny.
Standardize on one provider, if coverage allows. Obviously, the more devices under one contract, the deeper the discount. Granted, the debate over "who's the better provider" can really get heated amoung users, but unless there are big coverage issues due to real-estate expanse, try to stick with one provider.
Standardize features. Is there a business need for texting? A business need for email/internet? Establish a firm protocol and don't deviate.
Standardize equipment. This is a big one, folks. All the major providers offer headsets, BES licenses - you name it, they'll sell it to you. Do negotiate a discount on equipment, as well as the device themselves, but also be sure to shop around. I have a client that standardized on a specific headset, purchased with a 15% discount via the contract. The headset retailed for $49.99 (discount included.) I took the item number off the invoice and did some price shopping. I ended up finding the exact same headset for $14.95 PLUS free shipping. My client now purchases these headsets online for a big savings. Another client was purchasing their BES licenses through their carrier, thinking that because they also got a percentage off, they were getting a good deal. They weren't.
Nothing cutting-edge or earthshattering here - just a good reminder of telecom contract negotiation standards and strategic cost reduction methods.
- ST
At Valicom, we are always looking for ways to reduce telecom expenses, increase operational efficiencies and minimize risk for our clients. I just read an article from WTN News about textblockers that prevent drivers from utilizing their cell phones or texting while driving. With the statistics regarding the number of accidents and fatalities caused by texting and cell phone use while driving, this may not be a bad idea not only for parents, but for employers to reduce your liability risk and protect your valued staff. It is not only wise to include a provision in your wireless policy that prohibits the use of employee's wireless devices while driving but to also consider ways to reduce risk by considering the use of these new cell phone apps.  The new category of text blockers include apps like iZup, tXtBlocker, CellSafety and ZoomSafer. This wireless management software uses the GPS on your cell phone or blackberry to calculate the driver's speed. Once it detects that you are going more than 10 miles an hour, it determines that you are driving and shuts down your device until you are no longer moving. Some of these apps allow cell phone calls but block text, e-mail, Web, chat, Facebook etc. Passengers can unblock their phones by solving a timed puzzle that could not be addressed in a timely manner by the driver. One consideration is whether you, as an employer, want to play Big Brother to your employees or demonstrate trust that they will not text (or talk) and drive on company time. This is dependent on your company culture and should be in keeping with other policies pertaining to the use of cell phones, computers, vehicles etc. As part of an overall wireless expense management engagement, Valicom reviews not only wireless policies and strategies but also performs cell phone audits and on-going wireless optimization services to reduce business costs. In addition, by utilizing Clearview's mobile expense software module, we perform full lifecycle services such as telecom asset management, comprehensive reporting and bill payment. To learn more about the benefits of our wireless expense management services, check out our web-site at www.valicomcorp.com.
For those companies that are currently utilizing Telecom Expense Management (TEM) services, or interested in TEM services, are you certain that the your TEM provider is focused on the areas of expertise that you need? Are they trying to be everything to everybody?  When a company is looking for a TEM vendor to have the expertise that leads to telecom expense control through best practices, years of experience and the best tools available, be sure that they are not trying to be everything to everybody. Have you heard the phrase, "the jack of all trades and the master of none? I read quite a bit of information posted from numerous sources. So many TEM, or pure expense management vendors talk about how they can provide Information Technology (IT) and telecom hardware, consulting services, VoIP convergence... oh and by the way we might be able to wash your car if it generates revenue. That approach is difficult to really know who your vendor is and how they might deal with you after the proposal is signed. When your TEM vendor is focused on your success and not distracted, or incented to lead you to a specific carrier or solution, because they will receive compensation on the back-end, then your company is in the best position for a successful engagement. Before you make the selection final, be sure to know who you are dealing with and that they have the focus on exceeding your expectations regarding telecommunication invoice audit and mobile management. Many companies have decided to utilize existing staff that have a great understanding of the company's business and industry and just need a tool to manage telecom expenses. Proper due diligence is the key in selecting who you partner with. Establishing your TEM vendor relationship will become the foundation for success and visible expense reduction. Keep your focus on strategic cost reduction!
The traditional approach for some enterprise level companies has been to outsource Telecom Expense Management (TEM) to TEM providers. While companies search TEM expertise in Mobile Management and Telecom expense control, how much research do companies actually do to ensure that their potential partner has values that are aligned?  We believe that it is our obligation to share our expertise with clients in order to improve their financial and operational intelligence. Only by doing this can we help increase your financial and operational performance. This realization helped us create our Core Vision, which is something we are driven by every day and every step of the way: "Through a unique combination of ingenuity and enlightenment, we are transforming the TEM industry and creating a better-educated marketplace." In addition, we are driven by our Core Values on a daily basis. Employees at Valicom are rewarded quarterly with recognition from peers for displaying actions falling within our Core Values. These are valued we feel contribute significantly to the continued success of our clients.
Our Corporate Values
Memorable Experiences - Visibility, Winning, Life-Changing, Meaningful, Fulfilling, Dreams
Enduring Connections -Co-creation, Leadership, Collaboration & Teamwork, Long Term Relationship, Mutual Respect, Community
Authenticity - Originality, Integrity, Thought Leaders, Ethical, Diversity, Distinctive
Inspiration - Can-Do, Free Spirited, Freedom, Enlighten, Visionary, Open-Minded
Innovation - Out-of-the-Box, Strategic, Creative, Ingenuity, Transformation, Leading Edge
Passion - Enthusiasm and Fun, Confidence, Compassion, Excellence, Sense of Urgency, Ambition, Empowerment, Ownership |
If you live by your values and have alignment with partners, success will be inevitable! Obtaining telecom cost reduction through telecom cost management software are easily achievable when the right partner is selected. Valicom's clients continue to speak loudly by expressing their views via their quarterly Client Satisfaction surveys. Contact us today to begin your customized service and support!
I have been reading the AOTMP telecom expense management (TEM) discussions on LinkedIn and I find it astounding that, after interviewing hundreds of enterprises, AOTMP found that corporations with over $1B in annual revenue experienced an average implementation time for wireless mobility management (WMM)/TEM technology of 10.5 months and companies with less than $50M in annual revenues experienced an average conversion time of 8 months. I'm assuming that enterprises between $50M and $1B in revenues experienced an average implementation time somewhere between the 8 and 10.5 month range.  From this data, I wonder what the level of support or assistance from the TEM/WMM suppliers has been in the implementation phase for the transition to take this long! Granted, many client environment's are complex and the process of gathering invoices, cost allocation codes, customer service records (CSRs), contracts etc. can be a daunting task; however, with the support and project management of an experienced TEM/WMM supplier team, the transition should take no more than 3 - 4 months even for companies with over $1B in revenues. Valicom has been implementing TEM/WMM solutions for the past 20 years and the average time it has taken for our most complex business process outsourcing solution for companies with over $1B in revenues is 3 months. With our Clearview-as-a-Service (CaaS) solution, implementation can occur in as little as one month depending on client size and the volume of invoices, circuits and wireless devices they may have. Time is money and the focus is to properly manage the function and reduce business costs. With many clients, one of the main benefits of a telecom expense management solution is company cost savings through reduced telecom expenses. Operational efficiencies can also be achieved by utilizing best practices and automated telecom cost management software, once fully implemented. With conversion times as high as 10.5 months, I can only imagine that the return on investment (ROI) is quite long when using other TEM/WMM suppliers based on the AOTMP research statistics. Over the past 20 years, Valicom has achieved an average telecom cost savings track record of 30.4% savings on our client's telecom expenses and in most cases a return on investment is realized in the first year of the engagement. With our Clearview-as-a-Service telecom cost management software at a lower price point than business process outsourced services, and an almost immediate time to savings, the return on investment is generally much quicker. If you would like to experience the quick implementation first-hand, try our free 30 day CaaS trial. I guarantee you will be impressed! Valicom is the key to achieve true strategic cost reduction. Contact us today!
Since it seems that most people believe that Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) is the original cellular technology, having been introduced in the 1980’s years before CDMA’s (Code Division Multiple Access...2G and 3G) introduction in the early 1990’s, I thought I would provide some interesting details to how CDMA came to be. While GSM is in fact older from a commercial standpoint – CDMA technology is actually older overall, and was first developed at the beginning of World War II. The original application was as a method for remotely controlling torpedoes. At that time though, it was never implemented due to a lack of feasibility in the current technological climate. As transmission technology improved, it wasn’t long before the US military began using CDMA to send and receive secure messages during the cold war. Because CDMA uses spread-spectrum technology – which is the process of dividing messages into tiny fragments and sending them over several different frequencies – CDMA is inherently secure. Each fragment is tagged with a code that only the sender and receiver know, and thus the overall message can’t be reassembled by someone in the middle intercepting the fragmented data.
In the mid-1980's, the US government declassified CDMA technology, and a few years later it began to be tested for commercial use.
So the answer is: CDMA.
For additional valuable information just like this, turn the the experts at Valicom for proper Telecom Expense Management with the ability to reduce business costs.
What do you really know about Mobile expense software? In most cases, telecom expenses are not often reviewed in detail unless an executive within a company questions expenses or is reviewing and planning the upcoming year's budget. Telecommunication technologies continue to emerge at a rapid pace which creates a challenge for Information Technology (IT) and Telecommunication departments to keep up. According to Answers.com, one of the definitions they list for education is "the knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process". There are a considerable amount of TEM companies out there that have the answer for you when you need to learn how to reduce business costs, achieve cellular optimization and implement cost reduction techniques.
In some cases, we have had clients that 'do not know what they don't know' in terms of telecommunication expense management (TEM) industry best practices. For example, when a company enters into telecom contract negotiations themselves they may achieve a minimal cost savings for the business when compared to their existing contract. However, they may in fact leave money on the table when compared to what other companies are able to negotiate. Utilizing a TEM services provider like Valicom will provide the advantage of knowing what the best practices in the industry are, as well as the best pricing that leads to the ultimate cost savings for business. I am in the business of educating our clients and enhancing the telecom expense management industry. Ask yourself how you stay current regarding telecom cost management.
With today's ability to support mobile, remote, out-of-the-office workers, individuals and companies need to understand the activities or processes that should be considered to ensure efficient and cost-effective solutions to enable proper management of devices used for remote operations. We have all heard about the concerns involving corporate versus personal liability. Telecommunication Expense Management (TEM) encompasses a series of decisions to be made, including activities associated with wireless expense management. My philosophy has always included a process-oriented approach to managing processes and functions.
Due to the complex nature of telecommunications and the numerous options for wireless devices, features, voice and data plans, taking the time to understand and define the acceptable process to your company is the foundation of true wireless expense management. Not to mention, enabling the remote employee to focus on producing work instead of having to become an administrative expert. Who performs the expense analysis in your organization?
TEM companies have made it their business to map out all relative activities and have created automated work flows to provide the most efficient tools that lead directly to pure telecommunication expense reduction. If you do not have an effective process in place consider employing a TEM provider that can positively impact your business and lead to rapid cost reduction. Ask questions within your organization and I would be interested to hear about the effective process your company utilizes.
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