NETWORK WORLD STEVE ULFELDER'S SOHO LIFE 09/08/04 Today's focus: Going mobile
Dear [EMAIL PROTECTED], In this issue: * Debating the wisdom of dumping the business landline for a ��cell phone * Links related to SOHO Life * Featured reader resource _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Xerox Want to learn the key steps to building a document output strategy that will enhance productivity and reduce costs for your organization? Start by downloading Xerox's white paper, Optimizing Document Output ROI. See how Xerox's solutions can help you manage devices, reduce costs and even boost productivity. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=80880 _______________________________________________________________ DOWNLOAD THE LATEST SPECIAL REPORTS FROM NETWORK WORLD Focused reports on compelling industry topics, Network World Special Reports are available online at Network World Fusion. Network World Special Reports on IP Telephony Security, the State of Wireless LANs, trends in the networked world and more are currently available. Download any or all of our Special Reports at: http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=79660 _______________________________________________________________ Today's focus: Going mobile By Steve Ulfelder I believe I'm going to ditch my hard-wired business-only telephone line, go all-cellular, and save a bunch of dough. Unless faxes are very important in your business (and possibly even if they are), you should consider doing the same. For more than a year now, I've been reading articles about consumers dumping their landlines in favor of mobile phones. A February study from In-Stat/MDR found that 14.4% of U.S. consumers have gone cellular-only, and that percentage will more than double by 2008. This trend is especially prevalent among young adults who move frequently. But I haven't heard or read much about small business owners following suit. But both my wife and I recently upgraded our mobile-phone plans and hardware. While that's an annual chore for many, it was a big deal to us - we hang on to our phones until they cause people to point and laugh in public. My friends said my old phone looked like a prop from Miami Vice. I was astonished at both the sound quality of today's phones and the low cost of the plans. My carrier charges less than $50 per month for a bazillion work-hour minutes, voice mail, no long-distance fees and no roaming charges; all the major carriers have similar plans. This got me thinking about ditching the hard-wired office phone. My cell phone was under-used. I need one, of course, so that $50-a-month fee is a given - but the mobile phone sits in my car while I do business over the land line. Between local and long-distance service charges, that landline costs me just over $76 per month, or $912 a year. Modern digital cell-phones generally offer outstanding sound quality, although that may not be the case in all areas. And for $19.95, I got an excellent ear bud/microphone that leaves my hands free to type notes while I conduct interviews. One of the remaining arguments in favor of the landline is the fact that it's hooked up to a fax machine. I'll estimate that I receive five faxes a year and send five. Think back to the $912 per year I spend on the office phone - I'm paying More than $90 a fax. Seems a bit steep. However, I do concede that it's nice to have a fax machine around. Here's my solution: I will hook the fax to the home telephone line and use it as a last resort only. I will need to receive faxes manually, but that's what I've been doing all along anyway. You might ask why I don't keep the office landline and ditch the one we use in our home, as so many consumers have. Just old-fashioned, I guess. It's a nice feeling to have one plain-vanilla phone in the house that works during power failures and can't be affected by some sort of cell-tower disaster. I suppose I'm part of the last generation that will feel this way about phone equipment. So there you have it - almost. Before I pull the trigger, I want to hear from you. Have you gone all-cellular in your home-based business? Is it a good idea? Are there risks I haven't factored in? Tell me about your experience - I promise to report back. _______________________________________________________________ To contact: Steve Ulfelder A journalist since 1986, Ulfelder writes about technology, business and automobiles from his home office in Southborough, Mass. His work appears in Network World, Computerworld, CIO, The Boston Globe, Grassroots Motorsports and others. You can contact him at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Xerox Want to learn the key steps to building a document output strategy that will enhance productivity and reduce costs for your organization? Start by downloading Xerox's white paper, Optimizing Document Output ROI. See how Xerox's solutions can help you manage devices, reduce costs and even boost productivity. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=80880 _______________________________________________________________ ARCHIVE LINKS Archive of the SOHO Life newsletter: http://www.nwfusion.com/net.worker/columnists/ Breaking telework and SMB news: http://www.nwfusion.com/net.worker/ _______________________________________________________________ FEATURED READER RESOURCE CHECK OUT NW FUSION'S NEW WHITE PAPER LIBRARY NW Fusion's White Paper Library was recently re-launched with new features and improved capabilities! 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