As companies struggle to survive the current economic crisis, they are increasingly looking to minimize corporate expenses and cut spending. In fact, Telecom spending tops the list of IT expenditures in most companies.  The challenge facing companies today however is how to cut costs and still meet the increasing demand for mobile computing.

In order to trim down expenses and maximize staff efficiencies, companies are turning to providers like AnchorPoint for telecom cost reduction strategies.

AnchorPoint is a division of MTS (News - Alert) - Mer Telemanagement Solutions Ltd., a global provider of Telecom Expense Management (TEM) for comprehensive telecommunication management and Customer Care & Billing (CC&B) solutions.

AnchorPoint (News - Alert) notes that there has been a notable increase in customer requests for telecom audit services that will eventually help them implement telecom cost reduction initiatives.

"Many companies find that the immediate savings from a telecom audit is the first step in a comprehensive spend management strategy," said John Venditti, Vice President, Consulting Practice.

He pointed out that a typical telecom audit of voice, data, and wireless services can generate 5 to 15 percent savings in just a few months.

Incorrect vendor billings are easily noticed and corrected - generating initial savings quickly but Venditti emphasized that companies also need to look deeper and analyze services and spend trends so that they can remove unnecessary forward looking expenses as well as recover past billing errors.

AnchorPoint's Audit Services offer a one-time historical audit of telecom vendor bills and several contract negotiation services. While helping companies recover money from prior vendor billing errors, the company’s consultants also provide recommendations for long-term process improvements.

With bi-weekly reporting of recapture results and detailed findings report, including auditing process maps, AnchorPoint will help companies create a long-term Telecom Expense Management strategy.

In addition, consultants also ensure clients are paying the most competitive rates for only the services they need, and help to find cost avoidance opportunities that go beyond vendor billing errors.

AnchorPoint audit engagements can be contracted as a standalone service or as part of a comprehensive engagement which also includes automating the ongoing management of telecom costs.

Providing statistics, Venditti said, "Let's consider a company with five million dollars in annual telecom spend. Through an audit, that company can realize $250,000 to $750,000 in real savings. These real dollars immediately improve the bottom line and can help protect an already reduced budget from other cost cutting measures."