I’ve learned one thing from Clark Howard: that signing with a larger Home/Office Security (Alarm) company is not a great decision. Not only are the costs 33% higher on average, but they require contracts with automatic rollover provisions. Clark’s advice? Sign with a smaller company that does not require a contract and they’ll typically have lower fees. I recently decided to change to EMC for my home security as their cost is $16.99/month with no contract, vs. Ackerman for $25.99 and a contract. Unfortunately, I have to wait until May until I can give Ackerman 60-days notice that I am canceling.
Take it from me: Do not sign a contract with a security company.
I rarely comment on finance, but having studied it in college and spent my first few years out on Wall Street, sometimes it pulls me back in.
It’s important to remember that the economy and the markets are a marathon, not a sprint. One thing I’ve learned in watching the market is that confidence is fickle and reactions are swift. Play it smart and steady and it’s usually fine.
Despite the woes we saw today here: things are not as bad as they seem.
The recent breaches of these two companies should send a clear signal to companies that are thorough review of their security protocol is needed. Further, it’s equally important to prepare for that day with automated process as opposed to being unable to immediately access information. The automation of reporting for CIO’s and CISO’s is paramount to closing that window of vulnerability. If you have manual processes still in place, you would be best served by scheduling a consultation with me.
Amazon’s outage in their highly-connected architecture just goes to show that it’s never safe to assume that your strategy for business continuity is foolproof. This link will explain more about the situation: http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/22/technology/amazon_ec2_cloud_outage/index.htm
I changed from Vonage to Phone Power a little while back. The reason was because I had numerous issues with the boxes that Vonage used. I went through 4 of them in less than 2 years, and they consistently dropped calls. The one thing I liked about Vonage was their “idiot-proof” set of directions, which were clear as day. That simplicity was not enough to make up for the lack of call clarity and reliability, however,.
Phone Power has actually proven to be more reliable so far (keeps fingers crossed). The only drawback has been that they do not have the simplicity in directions (MARKETING) that Vonage possesses. In time, I am sure they will. For instance, the directions for retrieving voice-mail have as-of-yet eluded me, but I have been able to get all messages via e-mail. At some point, I figure I’ll take a minute and clear the box out.
Overall, so far and so good. I will keep you posted any new developments regarding this service.
I have utilized Vonage for my home office for the past year and a half. In that time, I figure I have saved about $300 from my previous service with Bellsouth/AT&T. However, the 4th broken VOIP device in that period was enough to make me switch. I recently lost service on my most recent Vonage device on Monday morning, which, of course, is probably the least opportune time. Using your cell phone for business calls teaches a person to move service to a reliable provider. I was more than patient, as most people would have canned the service after 2 failed devices.
I have chosen a new VOIP provider and will review that one after several months.
Vonage has a nice billing platform, good features, but could not deliver reliable VOIP service to me overall. Reliability is key.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Eric
Since I have returned 2 Blackberry Tours since July 27th due to issues with audio clarity/reception, I am now on my third device. I have had no issues with my newest device and one thing that I did not download this time was Viigo (the RSS feed application). My Blackberry seems to run faster for one thing, but I seriously wonder if there is an incompatibility issue between the hardware’s software and that of the Viigo app. While my daughters miss reading “Reuters Oddly Enough” (or news of the weird), it’s a sacrifice worth making.
Happy holidays and be safe!
Eric
Wishing everyone the best over the holidays and a great 2010!
Well, I wish I wasn’t writing this, but as much as I love the functionality of the device, there is a major problem with the speaker on mine. I’ve sent two back now and am awaiting a third. I am told that it sounds like I am “in a tunnel” or “under water” by people I talk to. Obviously, that doesn’t suffice for business, pleasure, or talking to your 89-year old Aunt. I’ve had issues with all 3. If the next device that they send does not work out, I am simply going to return it and get something else (not the Storm, I cannot work on touchscreen!).
