To be fair, most of the plans are now including unlimited local minutes and quite surprisingly, unlimited SMS/MMS within Canada. That’s certainly a step in the right direction. These features alone are indeed useful, especially if you never have to make any LD calls or travel anywhere. However if you do like communicating outside of your home city, I’ve listed below the general plans that the carrier offers:

Option 1: The Diet Plan

This bundle includes 100 Canadian LD minutes and 1GB of domestic data. This might be acceptable for a very minimal user that watches their usage, however 1GB of domestic data doesn’t go far these days. To the carrier’s credit, they do give the option to pool the data together – another great step in the right direction. I’m a huge fan of pooling. Let’s say there is a user that uses more than 100 LD minutes, what does one do then?

Option 2: The Double-Edged Sword Plan

For a small increase, bundle 2 includes the option of either 500 LD minutes (within Canada and from Canada to the US) OR Unlimited Canadian LD minutes. Wait, what? Why either or? Now their customer just needs to determine which of their users makes calls to the US and whether they make enough calls to warrant the 500 minutes. Alternatively, if users use a ton of Canadian LD, they have no recourse but to bite the billing bullet if they call the US.

Disclaimer: This bundle also includes 3GB of domestic data, which is closer to where I’d want to see the data limit. You can also pool this data, but unfortunately it doesn’t pool with the previous bundle! Not only does it not pool with the previous bundle but the carrier requires it to be on a completely separate account. A separate account means a separate invoice. Maybe two invoices doesn’t bother you, or maybe it’s just doubled your workload, either way I don’t think the carrier cares. Additionally, these separate accounts mean that the data pool will now be cut in half. If there are users that don’t use any LD, but do use over 1GB of domestic data, they will likely need to be upgraded to take advantage of the bigger data pool. What about those users that use a ton of North American LD? Well, they have another bundle for that!

Option 3: The “I Feel Bloated and Confused” Plan

Bundle 3 is more money of course and also requires another additional account. Bundle 3 does include unlimited LD within Canada and from Canada to the US. Finally – an unlimited option for Canada to the US! It also includes 5GB of domestic data, which is nice, but might be a slight overkill and unnecessary for most users. There is also the option to forego the 5GB and choose 1GB of North American Data! Sounds pretty good right? While 1GB of North American data sounds great, we arrive back at the same issue: 1GB of data doesn’t go far these days. What makes this plan particularly horrifying is that now all of your data (domestic and US) is considered roaming data. This means that if a user doesn’t do any travelling but uses more than 1GB – they will be billed as if they were travelling. All the travel cost without the tan! This 1GB also does not pool, no matter how much we might want it to. Because the 1GB doesn’t pool, it means another new account! How many accounts are we up to now? Four?

Option 4: The Ferrari Plan

If you want the top-of-the-line bundle, be prepared to pay for it. The last bundle includes unlimited LD within Canada and from Canada to the US again, a fixed amount of SMS/MMS to Canada while Roaming in the US, a fixed amount of US voice roaming minutes and 1GB of North American Data again. Wait, why didn’t the North American data increase? Because the carrier assumes that no one is going to need more than 1GB if they’re travelling to the US. And no Bundle 4 doesn’t pool.

So those are the options. Now all a customer has to do is examine each and every one of their users and determine the following:

1. Average usage and cost for the last few months for:
   • Domestic data
   • Roaming data
   • Canadian LD
   • LD from Canada to the US
   • US roaming voice
   • US roaming texts
2. Compare all of the data listed above and deduce where upgrades to a more expensive bundle would be beneficial.
3. Which bundle and additional plan options within that bundle make sense for each user.
4. How many accounts they want to have when all is said and done.
5. (And finally) whether or not they want to pool the data.

The end result is the client is going to choose the more expensive bundle just to be safe, and this is exactly what the carrier wants.

Doesn’t it seem like there should be an easier way? What about data plans that pool together on the same account regardless of size or bundle? What about Unlimited North American LD features sold separately so that users can add them as needed? What about North American roaming data that pools together with better options than a simple 1GB? Too good to be true? Hardly. The US has been offering these options for years now and it’s about time that Canadian carriers follow suit.

By Kevin Corlis.

The post Why do Carriers Want to Make it Difficult? appeared first on Avema Telecom Management Best Practices Blog.

Rule #10 – Get Help When You Need it

The actions outlined in this guide can save your company a significant amount of money, but they don’t take place by themselves. Achieving optimum results from a telecom expense management initiative takes time and effort – often more than a company is in a position to undergo.

Lack of resources needn’t be a show stopper. Avema’s technology and expertise cover the entire lifecycle of Telecommunications Expense Management. Using specialized software tools, Avema helps assemble and analyze existing costs, establish user profiles, and create optimum carrier plan scenarios. Avema consultants are well versed in telecommunications pricing and practices, and can negotiate with carriers on your behalf. Once the plan is in place, Avema software tracks usage and expenses, automatically reporting anomalies to cost center owners on an exception basis.

Avema’s programs are designed to help clients get far better control of their spending than they would likely get on their own. Savings typically run between 5 and 40%. With Avema, there is no risk – a positive ROI is guaranteed in your first year. For our clients, this has made Telecommunications Expense Management a “no-brainer”.

If you would like help reducing your wireless costs, or would like advice on how to better negotiate your wireless contracts and track your mobile inventory, please contact Avema for a free consultation.

The post Don’t be afraid to get help with your telecom expense management appeared first on Avema Telecom Management Best Practices Blog.

Rule #9 – Make User Education a Priority

Policies and programs are useless unless people follow them. Publishing rules is not enough – employees need to understand why they exist, and the costs of non-compliance to the company. This is especially true with wireless devices, which many regard as their personal territory even when the device is company-owned.

Knowledge gaps can vary. Employees who travel may know surprising little about roaming charges. Few fully understand the security implications of a device being lost or stolen, and many will be tempted to cut corners when it comes to encryption and other procedures.

Education is also about reminding employees to be judicious in their use of airtime, to use their devices safely, or to be considerate of other employees.

Every year, many telecommunications expense management programs fail because this important step was left out. Don’t let this happen to your company.

If you would like help reducing your wireless costs, or would like advice on how to better negotiate your wireless contracts and track your mobile inventory, please contact Avema for a free consultation.

The post Educate your mobile users. appeared first on Avema Telecom Management Best Practices Blog.

Rule #8 – Monitor Wireless Costs and Usage on an Ongoing Basis

With many systems, getting started is the easy part – maintaining the system is where the real work lies. With hundreds or even thousands of people using wireless devices, keeping a wireless expense control plan on track requires some ongoing effort otherwise benefits will quickly erode. Without proper scrutiny to monitor your wireless costs, users revert to old habits, unauthorized devices show up, and spending starts to creep up again. Carriers have to be watched carefully as well, as they make lots of mistakes – usually in their favor! In fact, erroneous billings can account for 10% of your wireless bill.

A thorough review of spending should take place at least quarterly, but ideally, on a monthly basis, and systems need to be put in place to ensure that this happens. The cost savings from regular monitoring should be tracked, as this provides the ROI for the program – something that cost-conscious executives will want to hear about.

If you would like help reducing your wireless costs, or would like advice on how to better negotiate your wireless contracts and track your mobile inventory, please contact Avema for a free consultation.

The post Don’t lose momentum! Continue to monitor wireless costs. appeared first on Avema Telecom Management Best Practices Blog.

Avema’s CIO Roundtable Series 

On Tuesday, December 2^nd, Avema Corporation hosted its first event in in its CIO Roundtable Series, focusing on the security risks of VoIP.  The roundtable series is intended to provide IT executives with the opportunity to discuss and explore critical telecom and IT issues.

Participants in the CIO Roundtable, which was entitled “Navigating the Security Risks of VoIP,” was one of Canada’s top IT lawyers, Eric Boehm, Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, who offered insight into the legal issues that VoIP presents, especially surrounding data integrity and security.

Ned Zecevic, VP of Eastern Canada, IT with Canaccord has already migrated his organization to VoIP, and was able to share Canaccord’s journey as part of the discussion.    John Collins, Director, TELUS, and Aldo Fazzalari, Director, Avaya Canada also joined the roundtable participants.

“While many companies have made the move to VoIP, or are in the process of doing so, VoIP’s security risks still haven’t been fully analyzed,” said Roger Yang, CEO of Avema Corporation.  “With new security breaches revealed on a weekly basis, we’d like to provide a forum where IT leaders can discuss their concerns, share their experiences, and learn from their peers.”

At this first event, a diverse group of IT leaders met to dive into the issues, from a varied range of companies.  Participants shared challenges that evolve from dealing with multiple IT departments within a large organization, to those that arise from managing IT spanning over many separate locations.

“IT executives are often handling the widest range of functions within a company, and telecom is not as often pointed out to be a pressing issue.  However, communicating with clients is the most essential part of any business, and IT is accountable for this function,” said Yang.  “IT leaders need to ensure that these communications are secure, and that security risks are mitigated.”

Avema intends to continue this Roundtable series for IT Leaders, enabling them to share experiences, and learn from each other’s expertise.  Please visit http://www.avema.com for a list of upcoming events.

Article by Shane Schick, Editor of CanadianCIO
Published on ITWorldCanada.com:  December 5^th, 2014

Hold the phone: IT execs are starting to foresee VoIP security issues

Avema Corp. brings together a panel discussion about the potential dangers around voice-over-IP in the enterprise

As voice-over-IP matures to the point where more businesses see it as a cost-effective and flexible alternative to traditional phone services, CIOs may have to start paying greater attention to the possible security issues, according to IT executives who gathered for a roundtable discussion earlier this week.

Ned Zecevic, vice-president of information systems at Canaccord, told the Avema Corp.-hosted event that his firm switched to VoIP nine years ago and hasn’t looked back. However, the increased reach of such communications technology may open the door for greater risk exposure.

“We have never had any issues on VoIP where we needed to have more security. I think at this point, it’s a very solid system,” he said, adding that part of VoIP’s appeal is the ability to centralize and manage phone services from one location. On the other hand, the geographic reach of VoIP users is spreading as employees work remotely, which may require some double-checking.

“People may want to be able to change settings on the phone from home, but that needs to be secured. That’s the next generation that’s coming,” he said. “In that case, you need to talk more about security and make sure your network is set up to handle it. And you have to make sure if you’re at home and have Wi-FI on, to make sure it’s hidden, that no one can see those kind of things.”

Read more………

Viisit http://www.itworldcanada.com for more Canadian IT News

The post Executive Summary: Navigating the Security Risks of VoIP appeared first on Avema Telecom Management Best Practices Blog.

Rule #7 – Do a Comprehensive Mobile Inventory

Wireless devices are small and tough to keep track of. Without conducting a regular mobile inventory, devices can accumulate or disappear, and in the wireless world, this can be an expensive problem. Many Avema clients discover, for example, that there are no users to match some of the user accounts they are being billed for. Without an accurate inventory, or some sort of wireless expense management platform, phones with zero usage will continue to cost the company money.

Devices are also frequently stolen or lost. In addition to the cost, this can pose significant security risks as a device can be both a key to the corporate network, and a carrier of sensitive company information.  There can also be a large number of unnecessary “spares” being stored in various locations, which may or may not contain sensitive data.

One of our clients discovered months after they acquired a smaller company, and staff had left the organization, that they were still paying for hundreds of personal devices.  If they had been tracking their mobile inventory, this problem would have been uncovered immediately, and that money would never have been wasted.  Trying to recover costs from ex-employees is a time-consuming and often fruitless task.

If you would like help reducing your wireless costs, or would like advice on how to better negotiate your wireless contracts and track your mobile inventory, please contact Avema for a free consultation.

The post Keep track of your mobile inventory appeared first on Avema Telecom Management Best Practices Blog.

Rule #6 – Negotiate the Best Deal

Consolidating the wireless spends puts companies in the driver’s seat at contract time. If you are new to buying corporate plans, welcome to the world where everything is negotiable. Unlike single user plans where pre-made plans are the law, the world of pooled plans is a competitive market where telcos expect to negotiate. Wireless carrier plans are more flexible than you may think!

To get the best possible rates, assemble all your user profiles and numbers, and give your carriers a mini “RFP”. This doesn’t have to be a formal, drawn out document. What’s important is having a rough idea of the number and type of devices, the various categories of airtime and data costs, and potential roaming charges.

The fine print can be as important as the price, and companies should be firm about their needs. Some companies need the flexibility to drop users from the plan without penalty. Others might need a price guarantee for an extended period of time.

Present your RFP to several vendors, and let them know they have compe­tition. You will be surprised at the difference between that and your “old” system – carriers will often discount below their pooled plan rates to get your business.

If you would like help reducing your wireless costs, or would like advice on how to better negotiate your wireless contracts, please contact Avema for a free consultation.

The post Negotiate! Wireless carrier plans are more flexible than you think. appeared first on Avema Telecom Management Best Practices Blog.

Shane Schick, Editor-in-Chief of CanadianCIO, provides his perspective on the most recent CIO Roundtable held by Avema.  IT leaders met to discuss the security risks of VoIP.  Read more here:  http://www.itworldcanada.com/article/hold-the-phone-it-execs-are-starting-to-foresee-voip-security-issues/100334.

The post IT Leaders met to discuss security risks of VoIP appeared first on Avema Telecom Management Best Practices Blog.

Rule #5 – Procure Wireless Devices Rationally

Procuring wireless devices can certainly be interesting.  Weighing the pros and cons of different devices and plans is not a task to be taken lightly.  When a company procures office equipment, such as printers, computers, or office furniture, a rational cost/benefit process is undertaken.

However, when it comes to wireless devices, all caution seems to go out the window. Bells and whistles mysteriously become “must haves”. Suddenly, Joe from accounting who never travels has a critical need for an iPhone with an unlimited data plan.  Since a wireless phone is such a personal piece of equipment, and used often not just for work, employees are eager to have the latest and greatest edition.

The best approach to take in procuring wireless devices for your employees is to establish several “standard issue” devices that are ordered by the purchasing department and assigned based on usage profile. The key is to make sure these are economical yet provide the full functionality required – falling short will lead to frustration and rogue spending.

As with many other products, the device that’s best suited for a particular employee need may not be the “coolest” or the most widely advertised. If some employees are particularly distressed with their choices, you can explore upgrade options with a possible cost attached.  Exercising restraint may disappoint some, but the company’s bottom line will be grateful.

If you would like help reducing your wireless costs, or would like advice on how to better negotiate your wireless contracts, please contact Avema for a free consultation.

The post Think Before You Buy: Procure Wireless Devices Rationally appeared first on Avema Telecom Management Best Practices Blog.

Rule #4 – Develop Clear Guidelines for Employee Mobile Usage

Once you have established the business needs for each employee, it is necessary to ensure that each device is used appropriately. Telling employees to be responsible is not enough, as many of our clients can attest to.  We’ve seen many companies come to us with invoices in the thousands for an employee who used their device to stream video for their toddler, or play online games without a thought for the costs involved.  Clear, written policies are required to make sure employees are well-informed.  Policies should define the type of device allotted, and the terms of employee mobile usage.

Written mobile usage policies need to be worked out in the same fashion as policies for company credit cards or automobiles. In the case of a wireless device, the policy should stipulate that the device is for business use only except in an emergency. Accepted volumes of usage should be regularly communicated to employees.  Monthly usage reports will help keep employees accountable, and can be sent out via email when mobile invoices are received from your carrier.  A wireless expense management platform can help streamline this process, with automatic reports generated and emailed to each employee and/or department heads.

Communicating the company’s mobile usage policy goes way beyond cost control. Wireless devices may carry sensitive data, and could also provide access to the company network for hackers and other mal-doers. There are safety concerns as well – employees, for example, should not be operating handheld devices while driving on the highway.  It’s important that your policy cover not just cost issues, but these other important concerns.

Consider this Rule a must.

If you would like help reducing your wireless costs, or would like advice on how to better negotiate your wireless contracts, please contact Avema for a free consultation.

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