Individual vs. Corporate Cell phone ownership

President's Obama's new budget may repeal the Corporate cell phone tax. That may even the playing field from a tax perspective. However, what other liabilities should Corporations consider when deciding whether to own and manage employee cell phones or let the employees make their own cell phone choices?

Individual-liable pros:
*the company is not in the business of buying, replacing, and maintaining phones
* if there’s a problem with a user’s phone, that person has to work with his/her carrier and resolve the problem themselves
* the tax issue goes away
* the legal liability issue lessens, although it’s not completely eradicated. If an employee is using his/her own phone, but it has corporate email, calendar, etc. on it, the company can still be held liable in a lawsuit should the user be involved in an accident while using the phone. The legal folks on the list-serv can elaborate on this one.

Individual-liable cons:
* much less control over the costs of cell phone plans, as you noted below
* freedom of choice can lead you to allowing all kinds of phones, including Droids, iPhones, Pres, Nexus, etc. that may not be designed for an enterprise or workplace. If your team doesn’t have to support these or allow corporate email, etc. on any of them, and you’re only covering voice plan costs, it may not be a problem.
* the hidden “soft costs” of processing expense reports

Corporate-liable pros:
* use a corporate account to realize much better pricing
* no need to process those expense reports
* standardizing on specific phones

Corporate-liable cons:
* you’re in the cell phone business
* tax and legal liabilities
* the responsibility of reviewing and checking invoicing, and making sure users remain within policy boundaries

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AT&T wants the Government to allow them to phase out POTs service

All the more reason to get on the VOIP bandwagon! Carriers begin to petition the government to allow them to dismantle "circuit switched" telephone systems. See below:


NEW YORK (Reuters) - AT&T Inc told U.S. telecoms regulators that it should set plans for phasing out older telephone networks if the government wants to make high-speed Internet access available across the country.
U.S.
AT&T, the original U.S. phone operator, described older voice-based "circuit switched" telephone systems and service as "relics of a by-gone era" in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission dated December 21.
It said that the government's goal of 100 percent broadband Internet access is in reach only if resources are moved away from "plain-old telephone service", known in the industry as POTS and the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).
Otherwise "Congress's goal of universal access to broadband will not be met in a timely or efficient manner if providers are forced to continue to invest in and to maintain two networks," AT&T said in the filing.
"Due to technological advances, changes in consumer preference, and market forces, the question is when, not if, POTS service and the PSTN over which it is provided will become obsolete," AT&T said.
More than 90 percent of the population has access to broadband, according to AT&T the country's biggest operator with expected 2009 revenue of about $123 billion. It said that phone companies will continue to work to cover the rest of the country, but will need some encouragement from regulators.
AT&T was created in the late 19th century to build a communications network that would stretch across the United States, and became the dominant U.S. phone company.
It has gone through multiple changes since then, including a breakup in the 1980s, but remains the largest U.S. telephone company by revenue

TelecoWorks Celebrates Sovereign Bank's New Location
by Awarding Eagles' Tickets


Exton, PA-November 17, 2009 TelecoWorks of Downingtown, a Sovereign Bank business customer, helped to celebrate the merging of two Sovereign Bank branches by holding a special drawing for two Philadelphia Eagles tickets. The lucky winner of the Redskins/ Eagles match-up is Wendy Dexter of Smaltz's Harley- Davidson of Chester Springs. Pictured with Dexter are (from left), Sovereign Bank Assistant Vice President Linda J. Bishop, TelecoWorks President, Valerie Brauckman Burgess, Dexter and co-sponsor, Beth Suero of Exton IT networking firm, eb-Logix.

TelecoWorks is an independent telecom-consulting firm that can help companies secure a stable network infrastructure to support sustainable business practices. Specializing in VoIP technologies, audio and video conferencing, hosted and virtual solutions, TelecoWorks can improve a company's technology footprint. TelecoWorks serves national and local companies in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Maryland. Visit them at www.Telecoworks. For information on TelecoWorks, located in Downingtown, PA, please visit www.Telecoworks.com or call 610-942-7501

PAETEC Announces Continues Expansion of Ethernet Local Loop Access Nationwide

October 19, 2009 - PAETEC announced that is has expanded its on-net Ethernet Local Loop (ELL) offering to seven additional on-net cities in 2009 to benefit customers with complex data needs.
Ethernet access enables businesses to connect buildings or access the PAETEC MPLS network using the same technology commonly used in Local Area Networks, simplifying network management and reducing equipment costs. PAETEC now serves a total of 36 on-net markets with Ethernet access and plans to reach an additional six markets by year-end, serving over half of its 83 core markets nationwide with direct Ethernet access. PAETEC can also reach 100% of its MSA coverage area via Ethernet utilizing existing partnership agreements.
"We've heard from our customers of their desire to use Ethernet as a local loop to drive new speeds and efficiency for their business," said John Chapman, senior vice president of marketing. "Today's announcement is a continuation of our tradition of offering personalized solutions to meet the diverse needs of our customers. We now offer multiple access methods to our network, including Ethernet, T-1 to OC-3 circuits, Fixed Wireless or even direct access in our data centers."
PAETEC offers its Ethernet Local Loop product primarily through Network-to-Network Interface (NNI) connections with various local access providers within its service areas. Earlier in 2009, PAETEC also announced Ethernet capabilities via its own fixed wireless circuits across the United States.
PAETEC now can deliver Ethernet access to areas in Alabama, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The company is planning on future Ethernet access expansions in the west and mid-western areas of the United States.
For More Information of Ethernet products and services contact: Valerie Brauckman at TelecoWorks, 1-800-TELECO-5 OR 610-942-7501

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Celebrate Green IT in Philadelphia

Celebrate Green IT in Philly Oct. 20!
If you work in IT or Business Technology, and want to learn ways to bring your Passion for the Planet to work, come
Celebrate Green IT in Philly, Oct 20, 2009 at 6 PM at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, at 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This event is free, but please RSVP to http://greeninformationtechnology.eventbrite.com/.

For information, see David Calloway's blog at http://www.greenitdigest.blogspot.com/

Meet other Enviro ITers, enjoy refreshments, be entertained and informed by Quiet Riot (not the 80s metal band), and see how one local firm went Green, powerfully and profitably.
Hosted by ANSP’s Center for Environmental Policy