How to Drive ROI with Telecom Expense Management

No. 5: Recycle old wireless devices

Not only is this good for the environment but, most importantly, it is crucial for security reasons. Perform a quick Internet search and you'll come across many articles about devices sold on auction Web sites, with the confidential corporate information still on the units.

Carrier changes, device upgrades and employees turning in devices when they leave a company all create a situation where organizations often have a closet full of old devices. Find a company with strict security mandates that wipe the devices clean of any data and provide your company a cash rebate. These rebates vary by device type and age, but the dollars can be used towards procuring new devices.

Trying to get a handle on telecom expenses often is a dreaded task, as it involves research to collect information on locations, employees, circuits, devices, etc. But the reward can be substantial. Start small; many of the ideas presented here can be implemented quickly and produce an immediate impact. Particularly in this economic environment where each dollar counts more than ever before, you can be the hero of your IT department by delivering bottom-line benefits through TEM.

John Shea is Chief Marketing Officer at Rivermine. John brings over 17 years of high technology experience to Rivermine. Prior to Rivermine, John served as vice president of product marketing, management and corporate strategy for Nuance. John joined Nuance during its early stages in 1998, and helped ramp the company from four customers to over 1,000 during his six-year tenure. He was also heavily involved in Nuance’s initial public offering, which resulted in a market valuation of over $5 billion.

Earlier in his career, John was a member of the initial Intel Pentium Processor marketing team that helped ramp product shipments from zero to over 10 million units per quarter in two years. He has also held marketing and technical positions at OnLive Technologies and Booz, Allen & Hamilton. John holds a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and a Masters degree in Business Administration/Management from NorthWestern's Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He can be reached at info@rivermine.com.