FoneRent

That shock and sinking feeling of getting an unexpected mobile roaming bill recently hit Samsung Electronics Canada when the monthly wireless bill included CDN$100,000 for data roaming charges, racked up by a team member using Smartphone linked to a laptop during a trip to Europe.

The experience was a lesson in the demands required for telecom expense management and underlines the FoneRent ethic of avoiding roaming. Some consultants and software companies offer management solutions to organizations, but carriers are reluctant to respond as roaming is seen as a very profitable add-on. The Samsung staffer trip was legitimate, as was the wireless usage. In fact, all the employee downloaded was a mere 2 GB (gygabyte) of data. However, the carrier, Bell Mobility, charged over CDN$50.00 per MB (megabyte).

Telecom expenses are so complicated that they either have to be controlled through sophisticated software or are often outsourced, say analysts. David Gill, CEO of FoneRent added,  "It pays to shop around. Wireless charges are part of the discussion my team have with clients frequently, and the biggest problem is the cost of roaming when you travel abroad."

Undoubtedly the best cost saving option is to use a local SIM Card in the country you are visiting and FoneRent has one of the most extensive stocks of SIMs in the world. And with Data there is no concern for users about taking a local number, and even for voice solutions, FoneRent has a dual SIM phone that allows users to take their own SIM alongside another local number to ensure they dont miss key messages and calls, but always use local rates for calling. Encouraging staff to use Skype or Wi-Fi when outside Canada, will also assist in keeeping a lid on costs.

Content supplied by FoneRent and by Howard Solomon.

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