It’s time you know what the latest technological gadget is. In fact, this new toy is buzzing everywhere nowadays. PDA cell phones are popping up more and more in the market place. Young or old, maybe you should be asking yourself whether this new cellular phone is something you should consider owning? Well, if you’re unsure about whether a PDA mobile phone is the right piece of hardware for you, don’t be. Read on and find out everything you need to know about these great wireless phones! Many consumers understand the value of owning a mobile phone today. They are really convenient and easy to use. We almost take them for granted because they’re extremely affordable to own and maintain. They come with tons of loaded features to help make our lives that much easier. They store phone numbers and addresses, can link you to the Internet, can download your email on a whim, and allow you to chat on Instant Messenger with your closest loved ones whenever you want. Bored? Not when you own a cellular phone, equipped with the latest games, cool polyphonic ring tones, and picture messaging. Use it to take notes, and keep you up to date with important meetings. There is simply nothing that a cell phone cannot do nowadays. They even take pictures and video images – and to think, these nifty little toys can be held, literally, in the palm of your hand. Well, the newest trend to hit our palms is the PDA wireless phone – better known as a personal digital assistant. Imagine combining the convenience of a cell phone with the reliability of a PDA – it’s a match made in heaven! Here’s why. First of all, PDA’s are very portable. You can take them anywhere! They fit in your purse, briefcase, even your own pocket. They’re also very durable, so they’re built to last! PDA’s are also pretty inexpensive these days. You can get yourself a pretty decent and affordable personal digital assistant for about $150. Once you get one, you’ll realize just how amazing these devices really are! These awesome gadgets store your personal and professional information, at the touch of a button! Wireless PDA’s are also programmable. You can run the most popular of applications on a palm pilot, allowing you to interact with your home or office computer. You can store documents, graphics, notes – the possibilities are endless, and transferring information from one medium to another is a breeze! What does it mean when you combine the power of a PDA with a mobile phone? Pure magic! There are many companies offering this innovative product. Check it out! PalmOne makes a PDA cell phone that makes it easier than ever for consumers to keep their business and personal life in order without all the excess bulk! Remember, these phones are compatible with either Macs or PCs, making it simple for you to download information when you need it the most. Key features on these types of phones include a mini “qwerty” keyboard for typing notes, Bluetooth technology, USB capability, and lithium powered batteries. Many of these PDA mobiles also include MP3 features! It’s all you’ll ever need to get through your day with ease! Many people may even consider getting rid of their mobile phones and replacing it with these new PDA cell phones. If you think about it, you really don’t need much else! Tons of Americans walk around with briefcases or purses full of gadgets that only store a certain type of information. At one time, a cell phone was used primarily to make or receive calls. Now, times have changed. Long gone are the days when mobiles were bulky, heavy, and inadequate. As you may know, cell phones have marked their way into the world today, helping millions of people get what they need in their professional and personal lives. Not only do cell phones help us when we’re in a bind, they keep us well in tuned with the world. We can access the daily news, read our horoscopes, check movie listings, and so much more. Keep your address book updated with your contacts. Store email addresses, contact names, phone numbers – the sky is the limit! In fact, there’s nothing a cell phone can’t do these days! Without a doubt, cellular phones definitely enhance our lives. They can notify us when we have an important meeting or date coming up. You’ll never forget a friend or loved one’s birthday again! They come equipped with cool features, such as unique ring tones, games, and colour screens. Want to get online? No problem! You can picture message your friends, send text messages on the fly, even go online and download your email messages. These features come in handy, especially when travelling. In fact, many mobiles today are designed to be used anywhere around the world! So, there’s no need to worry about bringing a day planner or agenda to keep track of your to do list. A cell phone is all you need! Now, you can enjoy the convenience and affordability of combining your heavily used and much needed cell phone with a practicality of a PDA or portable hand held system. Look around – you’ll soon see that many popular cellular phone carriers are carrying PDA cell phones, all equipped with different, but important features. In fact, customers can pick and choose which PDA phone best suits their needs. It’s all too simple! However, one thing is clear – owning a PDA mobile is an effective way to keep your business sorted. Imagine just how much information these powerful tools store! Cell phones are extremely practical but their downside is that they can only store so much information! For example, most mobile phones come with phone books that store between 100-500 contact entries. Certainly not enough when you’re building a list of personal and professional contacts. Having a PDA cell phone is like carrying around a mini computer in your pocket and the possibilities are surely endless! While it can’t fix your family meals every night or make the kids go to bed, it will keep you and your family extremely organized and in tune with what’s going on day to day! While a PDA cellular phone is used primarily for professional use, take advantage of the many fun features it has to offer. If you ever wanted to own an MP3 player, there’s no need to buy one on its own! Some PDA mobiles come with a Windows Media Player device to keep you occupied with your favourite tunes during the day! If you’re travelling and are looking to maximize your time, surf the Internet. Even better, catch up on your emails! It’s like taking your office on the road, wherever you go, whenever you go! If you’re worried about using your PDA too much – don’t! Many PDA cell phones will give you somewhere along the lines of 250 minutes of talk time and 240 hours of standby time. Keeping spare chargers and a base charger is always convenient to ensure that you’ll never go without your phone when you need it the most! You’ll enjoy typical features, such as a speakerphone, vibrating ringers, text capability, and Internet options. Connect using Outlook, and you’ll never have to search for a phone number or email address again! Store it once and forget about it! For those individuals who are constantly travelling and on the road or in the sky, a PDA mobile phone makes sense. It’s the perfect gift and travel companion! Sometimes, it can be difficult to take a break from your day to find an Internet café or office that will allow you to connect and check your email and important messages. Now, imagine being able to access your information from anywhere in the world! You could be having dinner, in a car, or in between meetings, and you’ll never miss those important messages ever again! It’s important to note, your PDA cell phone contains the Internet, which will allow you to surf the web. So, now you can book your hotel reservations, find a phone number for a taxi, look for a restaurant in your area – it’s all possible without having to exhaust other options! Sync your phone with your laptop, and access your work, no matter where you are. Access flight information with the touch of a button! Get movie listings and find out where some of the best attractions are when you’re visiting a new town. It’s obvious that owning a PDA cell phone has its advantages. Remember, PDA phones are extremely lightweight and portable. So much power for such a tiny device – and to think, many phones will give you the option to add more memory if you need it, for additional storage! It’s also good to know that many companies will also throw in extra cellular accessories, such as a headset, leather case, belt clip or hand strap. These always come in handy to protect and maintain the look of your equipment. They’re also very suitable when on the road. Having a headset allows you to use your phone while on the road keeping you safe as you drive with both hands on the wheel! If you’re going to use your phone on the road while driving, at least be safe! Be conscious of yourself and the other drivers around you! It doesn’t stop there! You can upgrade to a Bluetooth headset, or consider buying an extra adapter, charger, or magnet mount antenna set. You could also consider getting a starter kit that comes with the essentials to make the most out of your PDA cellular phone. One thing is for sure. The rave about PDA cell phones is sweeping the nation. Stop and think for a moment. Many people carry around more than one of the following – a cell phone, an agenda or journal, a PDA system, a camera, an MP3 player. Well, all you need is the PDA mobile! It will replace all of these rather expensive items and provide for its consumers the convenience of owning the best all-in-one device to ever hit the market!



By: Caitlin Crosain

About the Author:

Communication is the lifeblood of business, and telecommunications are at the heart of all business communication. Companies know that they need reliable, quality service of sufficient capacity to handle their needs and they are often intrigued by the latest service or technology; but the billing structure remains a mystery to most. Telephone service is taken for granted at the same time that it is grossly misunderstood. And, while businesses have historically been at the mercy of a monopoly regarding phone service, the phone company has done a pretty good job of connecting businesses to their customers. The problem with former monopolies is that they continue to think and act like monopolies.



With quality and reliability issues fairly well resolved, businesses are focusing their attention on the cost of service. However, many companies rely on the phone company to advise them on the most cost effective services available and to insure that they are being billed properly. Others rely on their internal telecommunications personnel who were trained to think like the phone company. It is important to understand that in the course of trying to improve its bottom line, the phone company may not be looking for ways to help you reduce your phone service costs. Is it coincidence that 80% of billing errors favor the phone company?



In 1934, the Federal Communications Commission was created to regulate the interstate aspects of telecommunications. However, local phone service and in-state long distance issues were left to the states to regulate.



In 1975, in response to public outrage about soaring utility bills and a telephone company scandal, the State of Texas established the Public Utilities Commission to represent and protect the public interest in regard to public utility rates, operations, and services. The Public Utilities Commission regulates the phone company (and other utilities) through tariffs that define the operations of the utility, the services it can provide and the rates it is allowed to charge.



Until 1984, telecommunications was the exclusive domain of monopolies, though it was regulated in the State of Texas by the PUC. The monopoly was so tightly held that companies had a phone room in their own buildings that was off limits to everyone but the phone company. Many businesses did not even own their own phones.



After the breakup of AT&T in 1984, businesses had to take on some of the responsibility of managing their telecommunications internally. Businesses now had to acquire their own phone systems and integrate them with the available service from the regional Bell operating companies, who still maintained a monopoly on service. With no internal expertise available, the obvious answer was to hire former phone company employees to manage internal telecommunications issues.



As complicated as the technology was, billing for phone service was even more complicated. Though these former phone company employees were, in fact, technicians, businesses increasingly (and unfairly) relied upon these technicians to manage not only their telecommunications technology issues, but phone service billing issues as well. Ironically, it is often a company’s internal telecommunications experts that prevent a company from getting the best possible rates for the services they use.



Business phone service is subject to two distinct types of billing errors: 1) usage errors based on the volume and duration of calls, and 2) rate errors based on the costs and fees the phone company is authorized to charge for phone service. Companies can themselves detect usage errors, but because billing structures are so highly complex, companies need specialized help to detect rate errors.



Tariff regulations are particularly complicated and are subject to frequent change. The current tariff schedule for SBC alone is made up of over 8,000 pages, with some 250,000 pages of retired tariffs no longer in effect. These rules are first interpreted by the phone companies and summarized into billing, operational and service policies that are interpreted a second time by phone company employees implementing the policies. With two levels of interpretation, there is no surprise that the rates businesses pay for phone service varies greatly from the language of the tariffs.



Tariff regulations are well outside the knowledge and skill set of telecom, IT and MIS personnel; and individuals with experience in telecommunications billing (usually former phone company employees) are typically trained to think like the phone company and rely on the phone company billing policies to resolve billing issues. To summarize, telecommunications personnel are simply not qualified to handle tariff and rate issues. However, because most businesses rely on their telecommunications personnel to handle billing issues, some telecom managers may avoid bringing in outside help for fear that if long-standing large errors are found, they will get the blame.



The Telecommunications Act of 1996 introduced competition in the telecommunications marketplace. Various companies popped up to provide alternative local phone service. A few of these companies provided their own hardware and infrastructure, but the vast majority were simply resellers of Bell service.



While one would expect that competitive pressures would have caused the industry to operate more efficiently with fewer billing mistakes, a number of factors actually caused billing errors to increase. In fact, for the seven largest phone companies, excluding cell phone companies, consumer billing complaints rose 95% from 2002 to 2003. Many of the problems that existed with the Bells prior to deregulation remained in place after deregulation and may have even been exacerbated by budget cuts and high turnover. Most competitive local exchange carriers were merely resellers of Bell service, who simply passed through any billing errors on the underlying service while adding yet another layer of bureaucracy. Additionally, newer carriers were prone to internal billing errors because they were not yet familiar with their own billing systems.



Rather than improve operational efficiency in order to be more competitive, some telecom companies tried to trick consumers into giving them their business, according to an article by CBS News. Even some of the most reputable phone companies have been accused of “competing by cheating” including continuing to send bills after service is terminated, and billing for services never ordered.



In one published example from Direct Marketing News, AT&T was accused of incorrectly billing 200,000 to 300,000 non-customers as well as 800,000 of its customers purportedly in an effort to draw inbound calls so it could pitch them on phone services while getting around national and state do-not-call lists. Consumers who called to complain were allegedly told by AT&T agents that they would have to sign up for a calling plan in order to get the incorrect fees refunded.



In another published example, a phone company in New Jersey, after paying out over $25,000,000 in refunds, decided it would only pay refunds for overcharges back for three months. Their argument was that by paying the overcharge, the customer was agreeing to the overcharge. While regulators repeatedly rejected that argument, it continued to be used. The phone company further complicated the issue by prematurely and illegally destroying customer service records that could be used to document how far back overcharges extend.



It is hard to imagine that the phone company could be capable of such tactics. If you wonder what gives them the audacity to treat their customers that way, consider how they have reportedly treated the regulators according to an article by Forbes:



For the first time, the FCC auditors… traveled the country and spot-checked telephone buildings to verify the existence of equipment carried on the books. [T]hey looked at only 25% of the Bells’ gear… at central switching offices. They discovered $5 billion in assets was missing outright. At least another $5 billion was impossible to audit, although federal law explicitly requires otherwise. Assets carried at erroneously (or intentionally) inflated costs on the books naturally lead to higher regulated prices. FCC Auditors were intent on levying large fines and seeking billions in refunds. “When the audit team started getting huge numbers, the Commission started getting very, very nervous.” “The dollars were so huge that there was no way the FCC would pursue them.” [T]he FCC negotiated with the Bells and a few long-distance titans in a series of secret meetings ending in early 2000. The resulting deal was officially named Calls, for the Coalition of Affordable Local and Long-distance Service. [T]he Baby Bells… slash[ed] the access fees they charge long-distance carriers for routing calls to their local lines, [saying] it would save customers $3.2 billion a year. [T]hey also won the right to offset that reduction by boosting flat monthly fees… $5 billion a year. The little-noticed shift in fees… also was a way for the Bells to bury what could have become a multibillion-dollar accounting scandal.



Today, there are a variety of telecommunications options for businesses, but phone service has essentially become a commodity. Price of service has become a major factor in selection of service and service provider. And, while most businesses believe that they are taking steps to insure that they are receiving the best rates available for services, very little is actually being done to hold the phone companies to the regulated rates.



In a recent survey by Communications Convergence Magazine, 55% of businesses said that their phone bills are audited regularly for billing inaccuracies. Amazingly, 50% said that the phone company provided the audit, with only about 5% of respondents saying they used the services of a third party auditing firm. In no other area of a business would a company ever allow vendors to audit themselves.



In the same survey, 73% of businesses said they believe that there are few or no incorrect charges on their phone bill. However, the FCC and independent industry analysts have determined that more than 80% of all phone bills contain errors and that 30% of all telecommunications charges are incorrect .



The largest users of telecommunications service often justify the creation of a custom tariff that provides special pricing or they otherwise qualify for pricing on an individual case basis (ICB). These organizations are the most likely to believe that there are few or no inaccuracies on their bills. However, statistics show that due to the size and complexity of these accounts, they are actually more likely to have a billing error.



Businesses and consumers tend to give the phone company the benefit of the doubt, but overwhelming evidence shows that the phone company does not proactively recommend packages or services that would reduce costs.



Bilbiography:



“Connecticut AG Slams Telecom Companies”, CBS News, December 18, 2001.



“History and Regulation of the Telephone Industry”, Fundamentals of Telecommunications: History, The International Engineering Consortium.



Jill Andresky Fraser, “Cost Control: It Pays to Audit Phone Bills”, Inc.com, Gruner %2B Jahr USA Publishing, June 1995.



Jozef Hand-Boniakowski, PhD., “Business Report: Telephone Bill Auditing”, Champlain Business Journal, August 2003.



Michelle Kessler, “Telecom Billing Complaints Increase”, USA Today, September 1, 2003.



Scott Hovanyetz, “AT&T Bills, Upsell Draw Lawsuits and Suspicions”, DM News, May 14, 2004.



Scott Woolley, “Shortchanged”, Forbes.com, May 12, 2003.



“The AT&T Breakup – 20 Years of Confusion”, ConsumerAffairs.com, http://consumeraffairs.com/news04/att20.html#top.



Tim Green, “Finding Cash in Bad Bills”, Netflash!, Network World Fusion, May 20, 2000.



Tracy Anders Greenlee, “PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION”, The Handbook of Texas Online.



“What Subscribers Want In Telecom Services”, Communications Convergence Magazine, May 4, 2004.



Other Sources:



Federal Communications Commission



The Public Utilities Commission of Texas.



Teletruth



By: Larry Pfeil

About the Author:

With consumer sentiment at rock bottom due to the ongoing credit crisis and the US economy on the verge of recession, many consumers are seeking ways to reduce monthly expenses. A relatively painless way to reduce expenses is to eliminate goods and services that are paid monthly but not needed or fully utilized each and every month.

Telecom services fall into this category for most people since many telecom companies have been very successful at bundling services and selling consumers packages of services that they do not fully utilize. Many of these packages sound like good deals but they are really just high priced conveniences since most consumers do not fully utilize or even need all of the services in the package. A smart way to reduce monthly expenses is to rationalize these packages by removing services that are not needed or fully utilized and paying for them separately, as needed. It is often better to shop around in order to find the best deal on the desired services rather than purchasing them from one service provider. The following are some examples where phone related expenses can be significantly reduced.

Use Prepaid Long Distance

With the proliferation of cell phones many people question whether the traditional home phone is really necessary any more. Many households maintain a home phone even though they have a cell phone family plan where all members of the household have a cell phone and individual phone number. For many, keeping a traditional home phone is a sensible option since it is cheaper than paying for cell phone air time for receiving calls, calling toll free numbers or making local calls. It may also be necessary for emergencies (911 calls) or for alarm systems or other monitoring devices. However, traditional long distance phone service is likely not necessary or even an economical option.

In most cases using prepaid long distance is a far cheaper option than using traditional long distance from the phone company. Prepaid long distance like that offered by Tel3Advantage is very convenient and costs nothing if it is not used. So consumers only pay for calls they actually make at dirt cheap rates with no taxes or added fees. Tel3 only charges 1.9 cents per minute for long distance calls made to North American (USA and Canada) destinations. This means that a consumer can use more than 500 minutes for a mere $10. Rates are slightly higher for international calls depending on the location called but they are up to 95% cheaper than phone company rates. It is also easy to open an account and there is nothing to change, it can be used from any phone or with any existing phone service. An account can be opened by visiting the Tel3Advantage website or calling 800 441 0321.

Replace Your Existing Traditional Home Phone with a VoIP Phone

Consumers who want traditional home phone service and already have high speed INTERNET should consider adding a VoIP Phone. Home phone service from the phone company is very expensive when compared to VoIP, especially when one considers all of the added fees and taxes. In comparison, a VoIP phone that includes local phone service, unlimited long distance in North America and every conceivable feature costs as little as $15 to $20 per month (including taxes and fees). Compare this with your next phone bill.

A VoIP service provider will typically provide a modem and other necessary equipment at no additional charge. There will usually be a small setup and activation fee but most VoIP service providers will also provide a bonus for new customers, like one month of free service, so setup costs are minimal. It is relatively easy to save between $60 and $80 per month by using VoIP phone service instead of a home phone from the telephone company. To be fair, VoIP does have limitations. It is less reliable than traditional phone service since it needs both electricity and an active INTERNET connection or it will not work. Also, VoIP will typically not work with home alarm systems or other monitoring devices. However, people can still save significant money by mixing the two services. For example, people who need a secure, reliable connection can get a cheap, basic land line from the phone company and install a VoIP phone for making their expensive long distance calls.

Use Free PC to PC or Cheap PC to Phone Service

Consumers can make Free calls using their computers and an INTERNET connection with PC to PC or PC to Phone service. Companies like Skype provide Free software for making free calls over the INTERNET between computers. The software is downloaded from their website and can also be used to make computer to standard telephone calls to any phone in the world. However, there is a charge for calls to a standard telephone, this is how companies like Skype make money.

Computer to computer (PC to PC) calling is typically Free if both parties download software from the same company. This is obviously the cheapest option for making long distance calls, especially between international locations. However, it does have drawbacks and limitations. For one, both parties need to have a personal computer and an INTERNET connection. They also need to be on-line at the same time so some coordination is required. Also, some countries try to block or downgrade Skype calls in order to protect their high cost monopoly phone companies. For those who can work around these shortcomings, PC to PC calling is a very good and extremely cheap option for making international long distance calls.

Make Cheap International Calls from any Country with Callback Phone Service

International Callback phone service is a popular option for making cheap international calls from countries that have very expensive monopoly, often state controlled, phone companies. These countries block outside competition in order to keep their international calling rates artificially high. Rates on Phone Cards also tend to be high in these countries and they often actively block the use of the INTERNET for making low cost calls. These countries want to force consumers to use their high cost phone company.

In most cases, international callback can be used to avoid the high tariffs imposed on international phone calls in these countries. International callback by-passes the high cost monopoly company by placing the international call through a low cost third country. It works in the following:



The user triggers a call to from a phone located in a low cost third country. The call is triggered by making a call to a special phone number (letting it ring one or two times with no answer) in the third country or by sending a message like an e-mail or a text message from a cell phone.

The phone (computer) in the third country recognizes the user and places a call to there phone in the high cost country.

The user answers the call and has a dial tone. The user can than place an international call over the third countries low cost network by dialing the phone number they desire.



Callback calls are normally triggered using three different methods. The most common method is to place a call to a phone number in the third country. The caller will let the phone ring two or three times than hang up without an answer. In this way they are not charged for an international call. A computer at the other end will recognize them based on their phone number and place a call back to their phone number. Thus the term callback phone service. When the call is received, the caller will be in the low cost phone system and can place a call to any country in the world. This method of triggering a call is referred to as traditional callback. Another method, commonly called web call, uses a standard e-mail message to trigger a callback and place a call. A third method, commonly called SMS call, uses a text message from a cell phone to trigger a callback and place a call.

Several countries try to block callback in order to protect their high cost, monopoly phone companies. Blocking traditional callback is relatively easy since it relies on caller ID in order to recognize the customer. Blocking web call or SMS call is difficult or impossible so these methods can be used from almost any country.

Callback phone service can be obtained through a variety of service providers. The service is almost always provided on a prepaid basis.

Use a Prepaid Cell Phone

Mobile phones are great to have in case of an emergency and a nice convenience but most consumers find them an expensive option especially if they are locked into a long term contract. Many people do not use all of the minutes they pay for each month so having a long term contract is a waste of money. One way to avoid paying for unnecessary cell phone services is to purchase a prepaid cell phone. Prepaid minutes are rather expensive, usually around 10 cents per minute, but a far cheaper option for people who rarely use a cell phone but want one as a convenience or for emergency use. In most cases consumers need to purchase a phone and prepay minutes in standard denominations but many prepaid cell phone providers offer rebates and other incentives on phones. Consumers should shop around for the best deal on a prepaid cell phone. Also, prepaid cell phone refill cards (minutes) can be purchased at a discount to face value from a variety of discounters for some added savings



By: Bob Graham

About the Author: