Alltel gets a victory

Have you noticed Verizon adds for "Friends and Family"? It was Verizon's answer to the Alltel gang in Arkansas pushing to keep some things the same. Verizon is a big beast, not always interested in listening to the small guys. Their purchase of Alltel was a delicate subject for all the dedicated folks in Little Rock. This time they used better judgement and offered Alltel's version of My Circle. I had many many Alltel customers asking about this feature, and guess what, it is here to stay. Verizon is not the least expensive service on the block. But allowing this free mobile to mobile feature add was a wise move. I have to admit, this time they got it right. The story of this merger though is only beginning.

Welcome to the Future

Mike

Smartphone features

I notice market share increasing every so slightly for Blackberries/I-Phones, Windows Mobile devices. People are catching on. But do not fall too far behind if you still carry that old boring flip phone. They find a handful of useful features that make their lives or work that much easier.

Synchronize your phone with Outlook. Taking notes on a device, going paperless. Utilizing a full QWERTY keyboard for easy text. Texting to a Twitter account is a cutting edge idea. Managing media files like pictures or video is becoming easier on a smart phone. How about surfing the web, tracking the stock market portfolio real time (well not quite like a broker but close!) How anyone can do without e-mail on the fingertips is beyond me.

Find features for your business that increase productivity. Make sure that your office encourages the use of the features and even offers training on how to utilize them. These devices will bring value to your everyday affairs if they are used consistently.

Welcome to the Future

Mike

Keep insurance on those Blackberries

Have you ever had to purchase a replacement phone for one that was lost or stolen or damaged beyond repair? It is not cheap. The retail value of these phones we all buy has gone up. We demanded Bluetooth, cameras, Smart phone technologies and so the cost of the phones was driven up. When we sign a new 2 year agreement or have an upgrade available to us, we can get a discount off of the new phone so it is not as expensive to buy. But if you are replacing a phone and you are not eligible for a discount, you will pay handsomely for it.

Consider this: The retail value of the new Sprint Nextel Curve Blackberry is $569. The Motorola Q9C retails for $399. The Treo 800w retails for $599! Heck most nice flip phones retail for well over $200.

Keep a spare phone or 2 handy. It is tempting to sell those old phones that we have but wise to keep them for backup purposes, especially if they are still in decent shape. You can have a current address book loaded in them and ready for that untimely moment when the phone is lost or damaged. Most of our business clients keep a drawer full of phones handy. If an emergency pops up then we can move a phone line to the spare right away and avoid any downtime. I have purchased phones from e-bay. I have had clients purchase them from e-bay. It is a cheap alternative. But buyer beware, I can also give you examples of you get what you pay for! If you want to replace an expensive phone with a new expensive phone, then you should carry insurance.

Insurance runs between $5-$7 per month per phone. I have always maintained that if you carry a nice phone, you better carry insurance. Asurion Protection Services is the insurance company that writes policies for most of the carriers. As of April of this year, deductibles on Smart phones like a Blackberry or a Windows Mobile device will go up to $100 per incident. All other phones carry a $50 deductible. You can make 3 claims per year, per phone number. They will overnight the phone to you and you will be up and running in no time at all. All it takes is one claim to pay for several years’ worth of monthly fees.

Welcome to the Future

Mike