Telecom Audit / Edition 1

by M. S. Mastel, Linda D. Williams

Overview

Phone systems, service, data networks, and the Internet are critical pieces of any companyís communications. And most IT professionals donít understand the effects of deregulation and parallel technologies on the bottom line.

Telecommunications companies have more than a 30% error rate on their billing each month. There are only about 4,000 telecom consultants in the country who do nothing but find errors on bills. The economy seems to be crying out for just this type of study.

This work explores the various technologies in terms of cost and ROI, sets up some case studies to solve real communications issues, offers cheap ways to meet bandwidth requirements, looks at the players in the marketplace in terms of technology as well as cost, explains what a tariff is and how it can be made to work for you, gives a better understanding of telecom taxes, which ones are required and to what degree, and provides international strategies to manage costs of a national and global network. Reading this book will be like hiring that telecom consultant.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780071410540
Publisher:	McGraw-Hill Companies, The
Publication date:	01/23/2003
Series:	Professional Telecom Ser.
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	0.88(w) x 7.50(h) x 9.25(d)

About the Author

Missy Sue Mastel, CPA is the President/Founder of Mass-Tel Communications, a company that helps corporations optimize their telecommunications budget. Since its establishment less than five years ago, Mastel’s company has saved and refunded client businesses more than $6 million in telecom costs and has helped three international telecommunications service providers to expand their market and improve their customer service. A resident of San Francisco, CA, Ms. Mastel holds degrees in accounting, international business management, and theology from Georgetown University and is a member of the AICPA and the California Association of Accounting Professionals. She is an alumna of KPMG and is certified by numerous telecom agencies and service providers throughout the world.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

List of Telecom Acronyms

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: The Black Hats and the White Hats

Chapter 3: Demystifying Your Phone Bill

Chapter 4: Managing Your Local Phone Bill

Chapter 5: Optimizing Local Services

Chapter 6: Long-Distance Auditing

Chapter 7: Toll-Free Services

Chapter 8: Auditing Contracts

Chapter 9: Wireless

Chapter 10: Taxes and Surcharges

Chapter 11: Using Technology to Save Money: Access Technologies

Chapter 12: Using Technology to Save Money: Transport Technologies

Chapter 13: Performing a Cost-Benefit Analysis

Chapter 14: International Considerations

Chapter 15: Conclusion

Appendix A: Common Uniform Service Order Codes

Appendix B: Audit Plan

Appendix C: Worksheet for Rough Comparison of Long-Distance Plans

Appendix D: A Brief View of Current International Telecom Trends

Appendix E: List of Reliable Vendors and Consultants

Appendix F: Managing Your Issues with the LEC

Appendix G: Erlang Table

Appendix H: Glossary

Appendix I: Bibliography

Index

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
Author M. S. Mastel is the owner of Mass-Tel Communications, Inc., a company that helps its clients find savings in their telecom bills. This guide is chock-full of outstanding tips and information that you need to monitor your telephone bill -- whether you are a small single user or a large corporation with a major investment in your telecommunications services.

Telecom Audit does an excellent job of explaining what you need to know, from fraud and tariff charges to state and local taxes. For example, Chapter 2 gives a brief history to familiarize you with the legacy of the telecom carriers. Chapters 3 and 4 focus on introducing true audit principles for a local telephone bill. Chapter 5 is dedicated to optimizing your agreements and relationships with your local carriers. Mastel introduces the long-distance carriers in Chapter 6 and explores the unique billing issues and discrepancies they present. The author then looks at toll-free services in Chapter 7 and reviews contract optimization techniques for long-distance carriers in Chapter 8. Chapter 9 tackles the wireless services. Chapter 10 addresses the tax structure that has grown up around your telephone bill, including some of the ways in which telecom taxes are disputed and how you, the consumer, lose. Chapters 11 and 12 are technology chapters, focusing on new-versus-old technologies, how to compare them, and what to expect in terms of cost. Chapter 13 shows you how to conduct a feasibility study to determine the need for a technology upgrade. Chapter 14 takes you through the pitfalls of international billing, and finally, Chapter 15 sums up Mastel's work and addresses issues around implementation.

Looking for ways to tighten your belt in a less-than-superlative economy has become a way of life. And, if you are responsible for paying for telecommunications services, this book will help you eke out savings that will make bosses breathe a little easier. John Vacca

John Vacca, the former computer security official (CSO) for NASA's space station program (Freedom), has written 38 books about advanced storage, computer security, and aerospace technology.

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