 Wireless in the EnterpriseThis newsletter is sponsored by TripwireNetwork World's Wireless in the Enterprise Newsletter, 06/13/07Avoiding gi-normous international mobile chargesBy Joanie WexlerAllowing mobile work forces to roam on cellular networks internationally without draining the company’s telecom coffers, it seems, is a dark art that calls for a potion of patience, planning and, often, simple restraint on the part of end users. The last newsletter broached some of the price challenges of traveling internationally, including multiple-dollar-per-minute usage and roaming charges if special arrangements aren’t made. Here are the general communications options for your roaming work force and their pros and cons:
* Have the user buy a subscriber identity module (SIM) card for use with his GSM phone. A different SIM card is needed for each foreign country. IT departments could also buy these in bulk ahead of time and issue them to users before their travels. In-country rates will apply, but they will be retail (undiscounted). * Depending on how long the user will be abroad, have him or her use the SIM and buy a monthly plan with a package of minutes for a flat fee. Some minutes will go to waste, but you’ll likely still come out ahead, dollar-wise. * Arrange with your homeland carrier or an aggregator for special roaming plans. By example, AT&T offers its Cingular BlackBerry International with Voice plan for $64.99 per month and unlimited e-mail. But you still have to pay per-minute voice charges - albeit discounted ones. Non-BlackBerry users can pay a $5.99 per month international fee and get discounted rates when in Europe that start at $.99 per minute. Aggregators in other countries, such as Roadpost in Canada, rent equipment and also offer flat-rate plans. * Allow some or all users to use their U.S. phones in other countries, unchanged, and simply bite the bullet on rack rates, which are undiscounted local, long-distance, and roaming fees. Advantage: convenience for all. Disadvantage: gi-normous usage and roaming costs of up to about $5 per minute. At a minimum, your IT/telecom department might wish to issue a general edict that users exercise common sense when they travel abroad; something along the lines of: “Don’t use your mobile phone unless you have to.”
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| Contact the author: Joanie Wexler is an independent networking technology writer/editor in California's Silicon Valley who has spent most of her career analyzing trends and news in the computer networking industry. She welcomes your comments on the articles published in this newsletter, as well as your ideas for future article topics. Reach her at joanie@jwexler.com. This newsletter is sponsored by TripwireARCHIVEArchive of the Wireless in the Enterprise Newsletter. BONUS FEATUREIT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICESTo subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007 |
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