Monday, October 21, 2013

Keeping Wireless Costs Under Control

By Joseph B. Kappernick


Many enterprises have seen a change for the worse in the management of wireless costs in recent years. Some would argue that it has become decentralized and even chaotic, with the average enterprise overpaying by up to 30-40 percent on wireless service. BYOD policies have been adopted by many organizations as a way to lower wireless costs, but this has not resolved the overspending issues in most cases.

Wireless cost management has become a difficult task for IT leaders, which is contributing to the gross overspending. Make sure you eliminate unnecessary wireless costs this year by addressing and resolving these three issues:

The effects of BYOD

IT leaders are not wrong about the cost benefits of BYOD-- moving from corporately users to individual plans has many advantages. The flip side is that there can also be unforeseen costs associated with this change as well. One major consequence is the loss of volume discounts when employees are removed from your corporate plan. Luckily, you can often continue to receive discounts and credits if you encourage your employees to sign up under your rate plan by offering incentives. Early termination fees can also force overspending, so be prepared and know how you plan to manage these extra costs.

Knowing fair market value

Many companies simply lack the knowledge and resources necessary to understand the complexities and inconsistencies of wireless pricing and terms, which leads to the majority of overspending in this area. Without any pricing data or insight, there is no way to determine if you are getting a fair deal or not. To avoid overspending, you need to begin benchmarking pricing now so you are prepared for negotiations.

Understanding shared data plans

2012 saw the end of most carrier's unlimited data plans. Many companies now will have to decipher and navigate new, complex shared data plans for the first time. If you fail to gain any insight about these new plans and what they mean for your wireless costs, you will likely end up paying much more for wireless costs this year. Start learning about these plans now before it is too late.




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