Choosing Wisely - Some Practical Tips

Over the course of my 33-year tenure with Oberlander Communications (good Lord, has it really been that long!?) the state of the telecommunications industry has evolved from essentially one service provider – AT&T – to such a dizzying assortment of providers, offerings, packages, pricing, and technologies that ‘buyer beware’ is the maxim for any consumer approaching the market. Ok, maybe “beware” is a bit intense but without a doubt it is no less imperative for a consumer to thoroughly investigate the various offerings and more importantly, the vendors of the products and services under consideration.

You've gotta love the Internet. It's an invaluable tool with which to become an educated consumer, at least to the degree we can establish the legitimacy of the information discovered there. With patience and perseverance, a savvy shopper will ferret out seemingly any piece of information desired, regardless of how insignificant or trivial. Anyone will tell you that being familiar with the topics you will encounter can go a long way to help avoid being overwhelmed with the inevitable barrage of techno-jargon “product experts” may assault you with.

Some key words and phrases that can raise my yellow flag of caution are –

·       Effortless – when was the last time someone adopted or migrated to a new technology-based-anything and exclaimed afterwards “Hey, that was effortless!”?

·       Virtual – I love this! Google says:

• "1. Almost or nearly as described, but not completely or according to strict definition.
• 2. Not physically existing as such but made by software to appear to do so." 

·       Seamless – satisfactory solutions typically involve the integration of various technologies, a patchwork if you will. Each patch is “stitched” together creating “seams”. No matter how fine the “stitch”, the seam can (and will) be a source of weakness, causing some or all of the fabric to disconnect. Look for a master “seamstress”!

·       Others might include “easy”, “no-brainer”, “Plug ‘n Play”, “indestructible” (insert your own favorite here __________)

·       Free – my personal favorite. Some will say “nothing is free”, others will argue. The phrase   “you get what you pay for” came from somewhere, right? When it comes to this industry, my experience suggests nothing is free.

Clearly establish your needs, wants and expectations. Research your desired products and potential sources, check references and reviews if available, and establish a realistic budget. You’ll be far more confident making your choices and your odds of satisfaction will dramatically improve.