1st Edition
Telecommunications Cost Management
Most telecom books focus on either traditional telecom billing audits or pure technology, with the cost saving ideas buried deep in the text. Busy decision-makers need the specifics quickly, without having to plow through details that do not affect the economics of a project. Telecommunications Cost Management takes cost saving techniques and brings them to the forefront where managers and decision makers can quickly use them for real world cost reductions or efficiency gains.
Traditional bill auditing texts provide recommendations but only within the context of the existing architecture - for example, they might highlight techniques for reducing circuit switched leased lines but omit the pros and cons of leased lines versus alternatives. Telecommunications Cost Management provides a blueprint for cost reduction across all major technologies - from frame relay to IP telephony to contract recommendations. The text presents the key facts up front, with sample calculations for broadband, local access, equipment, and service alternatives. It provides scenarios showing the effects of different architectural strategies for both voice and data communications. Intended for the busy decision-maker, this reference eliminates the need to wade through unnecessary details and guides the reader directly to the cost saving techniques.
How to Reduce Telecom Expenses (The "Cliff Notes" Version)
Why Are Telecom Costs So Difficult to Manage?
Drivers for Customer Demands
Carrier Challenges
VISION
Develop a Cost Management Vision
Preliminary Information Gathering
Getting the Numbers-First Cut
TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUDITING
Reasons for Telecom Bill Discrepancies
The Telecom Service Ordering Life Cycle
Two Approaches to Paying Bills
Components of a Telephone Bill
Sources of Billing Information
Getting Down to the Details: Audit Steps
WIDE AREA NETWORKING
Wide Area Network Technology Options
Wide Area Network Review Methodology
ARCHITECTURE AND LOCAL ACCESS STRATEGIES
Voice-over IP: Premises Equipment
Local Access Strategies
Miscellaneous Technical Solutions
SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS: LARGE SAVINGS FOR THE RIGHT APPLICATIONS
Basic Satellite Technology
Risk Areas for Satellite Communications
Controls to Improve Resiliency, Reliability, and Security
Other Concerns
The Future for Satellite Technology
TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECURITY
Voice and Telephony Security
PBX Firewall
VoIP (Voice over IP) Security
TELECOMMUNICATIONS TAX MINIMIZATION STRATEGIES
The Telecom Federal Excise Tax Refund Opportunity
Ancient History
Details of the Opportunity
How the Refund Works in Practice
Non-profit Organizations
Exempt Businesses
RFPS, CONTRACT OPTIMIZATION AND OUTSOURCING
Throwing It Over the Fence: Outsourcing
The Telecom Procurement/Contract Review
The Request for Proposal/Request for Quotation
Creating the RFP/RFQ
Evaluating Vendor Proposals
Scoring Model for Vendor Proposals
Outsourcing
THE FUTURE
Regulatory Changes
A World Lit Only by Packets
Keynes was Right
Storage Virtualization
General Trends
APPENDICES
Telecommunications Cost Management Checklist
White Papers from Quantum Shift
Summary of Communications Tax Regulations, United States Internal Revenue Service
Web Sites of Interest
Sample RFP Template
Sample Contract Terms and Conditions for a Complex Telecommunications Development Program
Appendix G: Billing Related Telecom Concepts and Telecom Glossary
Appendix H: Audit Program for Telecom Cost Management Field Work
About the Authors
Index
Each chapter concludes with a summary
Biography
William A. Yarberry Jr, Thomas Phelphs, Brian Dimarsico