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Oct 10 2023

How Much Data are Your Users Using? Here’s a Few Quick Tips

Data Usage

What are your users doing when they are eating up gobs of data?

Data Consumption — for different types of files — is not created equal. Below is a helpful table to show you what you get from your data usage:

So what is that user who is saying they are using their 35 GB for “business use” must mean they are sending about 12 million emails each month — or looking at about 21,000 web views.

Perhaps not a big deal if you dont worry about cost or productivity but the user who is using this 35 GB per month with an overage rate of $10 or $15 per GB, these users can be costing you about $500 a month on average.

To help you gauge what you’re using in a day, here are some additional averages:

..0003 GB = text only email

.002 GB = visiting one webpage

.06 GB = listening to 60 minutes of music

2 GB = watching 60 minutes of video

.009 GB = using GPS for 60 minutes

Text Usage

For texting, messages are measured as events rather than in kb and are charged per address (recipient) sent or received.

One message sent to one person = one event

One message sent to 10 persons = 10 events

The text messages show up as a tally on the wireless bill as the number sent and received. Wireless plans vary, with some putting a ceiling on the number of texts per month to unlimited options.

By understanding how much data and messaging you use in an average month, it positions you well for selecting the right plan to meet your needs to help you save time and money.

If you have questions about saving your company money through the auditing, optimizing, or managing of your wireless services, please click here to contact The Bill Police.

Still Protecting Your Wireless Rights…

Dec 06 2020

What is Verizon Cloud? Here’s the scoop.

We have seen lots of bills this past month containing incorrect Billing for Verizon Cloud.

What is Verizon Cloud?

Verizon Cloud is storage system offered by Verizon to back up and sync your contacts, photos, videos.

What’s it cost?

While Contacts-only Verizon Cloud storage is free, 1 TB of storage is $9.99 per month and 500 GB storage is $5 per month after a free one month trial.

If you have an iPhone, you probably have iCloud backup. When you sign up for iCloud, you automatically get 5GB of free storage. If you need more space, you can upgrade to a larger storage plan.
If you have an Android Phone, Google is offers the first 15 GB per month for free. and 1 TB of cloud storage available for just $10 per month.

We like free….so if you are savvy — we know you are!! — and have an Android or iPhone device, you can get more services for free than is offered with Verizon iCloud. Our suggestion is get it off your bill and move to your platform storage options.

What else do i need to know?

Our customers have also been receiving weird emails about Verizon Cloud for their iPhone or Android. Here’s an example:

**It turns out that none of the employees listed in Verizon’s email even had Verizon Cloud and no data had been backed up to the Verizon Cloud. Odd, huh!

2. We have also been seeing it show up mysteriously on Customer Bills.

If this is happening to you either a user has mistakenly click on “yes” to Verizon Cloud but it is unlikely they have stored backup data there unless you have a company policy to do so
Contact the user: in every case we have investigated, no users have used this feature and we have been able to remove the feature and saved either the $5 or $10 per month per user.
If we have said it once, we have said it a bazillon times, check your bill!!

Still protecting your Wireless Rights……especially for Kelly today……………………

Jun 07 2016

Here’s how effective IT Execs know if Expense Management is a fit for them

Let’s face it: wireless billing is a pain in the posterior. Data is hard to get, meaningful data is even harder and even if you can get the data, what do you do about it once you have it?

IT Execs are generally very capable at managing processes within their organizations. The question becomes does it make sense to continue allocating so much time to these tasks or is working with a wireless expense management company the right fit for you?

Below are a few things CIOs have done to determine if Expense Management is right for them:

1. IT Execs know wireless is a hassle, they are overpaying and are committed to finding out how to fix it

Obtaining billing data, putting into a meaningful format, measuring trends and then doing something about these trends take resources and time. Unless you have a very educated staff and industry information for Benchmarking, managing wireless expense internally is and a definite resource drain.

Expense Managers can provide meaningful billing trends quickly and at a cost lower than CIOs can internally. If the Expense Manager isn’t able to identify 5 key areas of cost decreasing opportunities immediately, it is probably not the right Expense Manager.

2. IT Execs know they don’t have to do everything themselves

In fact, the best Execs know they shouldn’t do everything themselves. They know how to take advantage other’s expertise to achieve results.

If, however, for those IT Execs that must do everything themselves, Expense Management is not for you.

3. Effective CIOs want the expense managed with as little effort as possible while looking like a hero doing it captain savings

If the wireless expense is being managed, the costs will be reduced. It is that simple.

It does matter what Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are being used, but costs can be managed. Good Expense managers will offer a Guaranteed Program to prove it.

4. IT Execs understand how to outsource

Often, the specific knowledge required to conduct expense management is so small niche that it is unlikely one’s own staff will have the expertise and the industry insight to provide meaningful data.

So often, we have seen companies that do Audit their bills (is the company being overcharged? Did they receive their correct discounts?). However, often the companies do not have access to unpublished rate plans, what other companies their same size and type should be getting for rates and they do not have a 3rd party resource.

5. IT Execs are good at working with a partner to achieve results

A wireless expense management firm can deliver results that are difficult to achieve on its own but these results require a team effort. If an IT Exec is not willing to partner with an Expense Management firm, the results will be less than ideal and Expense Management may not be for them.

It all starts with getting know the client needs through analysis. Through the use of analytics, strategy, and negotiation, firm specialists can systematically identify a client’s areas of overspend. Regular reporting provides transparent cost allocation of wireless spending from executive-level summaries drilled down to individual employee usage.

Decided Expense Management is for you? Check out our Blog on “How to pick a Good Expense Management Firm” as a next step.

Still Protecting Your Wireless Rights,

Kae Zulager

Feb 17 2016

Emergency Alerts Got an Upgrade

Bill Police Blog Image 2_17_16

We’ve all heard it numerous times on radio or television – the distinctive noise and message for the test of the emergency broadcast system. It interrupts what we’re doing for a minute to condition us to listen in the event of an actual emergency. Technology has enabled implementation of another communications tool to alert citizens of danger – Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) delivered right to your hand-held device. One could think of it as an Emergency Alert upgrade.

This system delivers text-like messages to citizens who have WEA-capable mobile devices, and can literally be life-saving. The technology works differently than text messaging. Messages authorized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are accompanied by an audible tone and are delivered immediately without being subject to wireless network congestion. If you have employees who travel the country, this system uses technology that can notify them to an imminent manmade danger or a natural disaster like a flood, hurricane, or tornado. It has a point-to-multipoint system and can quickly notify everyone across the nation in one huge reach or target specific geographic areas. Say a co-worker lives in Washington, D.C., but is doing business in Kansas; the technology recognizes his location and alerts him to take shelter from an approaching tornado. The WEA system is also used for amber alerts and presidential alerts.

You can determine if the phones you deploy are WEA-capable by searching your carrier’s website for “wireless emergency alerts.” It is also easy to look on the devices themselves. For example, on an iPhone, go to settings, notifications, and government alerts to manage. This is an easy add to employee safety and security measures, whether they are working locally or traveling.

If you would like to learn more about renegotiating your wireless contract, be sure to request our free guide The Five Questions You Should Ask When Renegotiating Your Wireless Contract. Simply click here to download your copy today!

Still Protecting Your Wireless Rights…

Jun 12 2014

Buyback programs can bring big dollars!

recycle JUN14 — Recycle Wireless Devices

Do you have wireless devices that are no longer used? You can get dollars to return your devices.

Frequently, the buybackers will provide:

1. Cash compensation (the new the device, the more valuable)

2. Safe and environmentally sound disposal or recycle of devices

3. A secure “wipe” of device insuring no critical or confidential data is left on the recycled device

Some of our customers have leveraged these programs and earned decent bucks back to help cover new or replacement device expense.

Often your carrier has an affiliate program with a buy back group or if you want to handle independently, simply search in your browser for “Buyback Wireless” and you’ll see a smattering of options.

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Data Usage

Text Usage

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