Telecoms for Competitive Advantage

5. Mobility

5.1 Answering machines or voicemail are the first line of defence against missing calls while you are on the move.

• When choosing a system, consider sound quality, whether you can operate the system remotely, and any time limits on incoming messages.
• Voicemail can be either a function of your phone system or - in a very basic form - a network service provided by your telephone company. Many people believe a voicemail service sounds more professional than an answering machine. It will also take messages for you while you are on a call.

5.2 If full two-way communication is essential, mobile phones are the obvious answer.

• Realistically, a mobile phone will always increase your total spending on telecoms. The huge payoff is less wasted time.
• With a mobile phone, a card modem and a laptop, you can have a 'virtual office'. This gives you access to your company's databases and the ability to send and receive email and faxes while travelling.
• With the new WAP mobiles, you can send and receive email directly and browse information on a wide range of websites.
• Set out clear rules about personal use of company mobiles. Call barring can be used to limit non-business calls - or even to bar any outgoing calls at all.
• Ask your supplier about equipment that lets you call company mobiles from your office phone at the cheaper mobile-to-mobile (same network) rate.

5.3 For one-way messaging, pagers are inexpensive and reliable.

• Pagers often work where mobile phone coverage is poor.
• Basic pagers bleep to tell you to call your message service. More expensive models let you read and store text messages.
• For routine use, rent a pager, which means you pay low call charges.
• For occasional emergency use - or if it is one-off customers who will be paying for calls to the pager - buy one outright. Call charges will be much higher.