Posted on
August 16, 2012 |
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A Safe Solution to Outrageous Roaming Bills
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SafeMove 6 contains a few new features worth mentioning that can really help an organization use cellular data services to the fullest advantage (even when roaming!). In the end, this helps allow organizations and consumers to save money and still be able to get work done while traveling, all while free of roaming fees.
There are many “bill shock” horror stories, - such as one that can be read here, that demonstrates an outrageous roaming bill. Although there have been proven efforts to try and fix roaming fees both in the US and EU, it’s evident it’s not enough and there’s a long way to go. In an effort to help stop these outrageous fees, the EU has recently put a price cap on roaming data charges to a lower price of 0.70€ / MB (http://goo.gl/YhI6h), and the memo estimates that “For a typical businessperson travelling in the EU this will mean savings of over €1000 per year”.
Although those efforts are positive, it doesn’t stop roaming fees all together, which is why SafeMove 6 is a great solution. It adds a couple of clever features that effectively solve these reoccurring issues by using technical means. A positive feature is that it can centrally configure what services and applications can use the network and under what circumstances, most importantly when roaming. And this all occurs dynamically and instantaneously. For instance, roaming restrictions are lifted immediately when SafeMove connects over Wi-Fi, even if the cellular modem (WWAN) is still connected. Users can also be allowed to temporarily override some of the restrictions if they choose to. In addition, this feature allows fine grained control over what network access is restricted, which services are available (e.g., windows update), which applications, IP addresses and tells you what ports are available. This will help reduce costs, and will add a smile on anyones face.
A few key recommendations to keep in mind for a safe setup with high usability are the following:
Configure Windows 7 WWAN to automatically connect when not roaming (the user will need to knowingly connect WWAN when roaming). When roaming, either:
- block windows update
- OR, block everything except a configured set of all important services such as email, company web, etc. and allow the user to manually, temporarily override the block for the session.
Just blocking Windows update when roaming, will alone lead to significant savings for most organizations
Safemove 6, as well as these key tips will save any organization money, and give the user peace of mind when traveling.
Have a horror story of outrageous roaming charges? Please feel free to share with us!
