Wireless voice and data services now represent 25 percent of a typical U.S. corporation’s telecom spending, according to a new report from the Yankee Group.
However, unlike other telecom services, a whopping 48 percent of large organizations do not have centrally managed accounts for wireless voice services, according to Yankee.
“Corporate wireless purchasing is changing for a variety of reasons, and the importance of centralizing this function is increasing,” said Keith Mallinson, executive vice president of the Yankee Group’s wireless and mobile research. “For example, purchasing managers must recognize requirements specific to locality and users. Verizon Wireless has worked hard to point out that it has the best overall coverage in the land, and Sprint PCS belabors the point that it has a consistent all-digital network, but that does not mean that either is best for everybody in every place.”
The analyst firm adds that personal expense claims for wireless service make it difficult for companies to tally expenditures.
“From the early days, cellular was a perk for the elite few who could get their company to pay for it. Nowadays, it is more for the masses so the prestige is less, but the corporate cost is magnified with the large number of users,” explained Mallinson. “Worse, the absence of accountability or of an effective review of usage against rate plans suggests many companies are overspending substantially.”
