The Consumer Salon

Online Backup Service Providers: Clarifying the Value Proposition

White Paper presented by:

REMOTE BACKUP SYSTEMS, INC. ONLINE BACKUP SOFTWARE www.remote-backup.com

•Introduction •A Brief History of the Backup Universe •…Who has my Data, and Where? •Customer Service in Online Backup, What does it mean? •Cost/Benefit Analysis – Don’t Believe the Hype •Summary

Copyright © 2004, Remote Backup Systems, Inc. Any reuse without the expressed written permission of RBS is prohibited.

Introduction Online Backup of computer data is finally gaining mainstream acceptance among business and consumer clients. Due primarily to the pervasive nature of the internet and the widespread availability of broadband connectivity, online data backup is finally coming into its own. With this change from a technology once considered the domain of only the largest well-funded businesses to a high-profile, high-reliability service offering come many challenges for the consumer. An historical look at the data backup and management marketplace and the technologies that helped shape it helps to make some sense of the current trends in this business. In an effort to make use of their idle server farms, wholesale online ‘Data-Mart’ companies have begun advertising remote backup services at ultra low prices, attempting to capitalize on the new-found popularity of the service. Data Storage and Online Data Repository companies are also on every virtual corner, hawking wildly varied products that initially confuse even industry veterans. Many of these companies are actually in the advertising sales business, and feature data backup as a sort of loss leader, hoping to attract visitors – and thereby advertisers, to their sites. The value of computer data is higher today than ever before, yet many online remote backup companies seem convinced that businesses are interested in a ‘lowest common denominator’ backup solution. Corners are being cut, misinformation rules, and marketing dollars are flying. In a forest-and-trees analogy, price wars are blinding corporate America to the critical data management component they began looking for in the first place – service. Following is an exploration of the commercial computer data backup and storage market, historically and currently, within the context of the diverse service levels provided by different types of companies.

A brief History of the Remote Data Backup and Offsite Data Storage Universe In the olden days – that is the mid 1980’s – there simply wasn’t any commercially available Online Backup software. The small handfuls of people providing the service were using a mix-and-match combination of communications, shareware, and other utilities not designed for remote data backup. In fact, there were no standard protocols at all for electronic communications or graphic user interface to computer programs. The microcomputer industry was in a great state of change and modems were still stalled at 1200 to 2400 baud, making transfers of large amounts of data excruciatingly slow (1 mb = 72 minutes!!). As technologies improved, so did the possibilities and prospects for the online data backup and management industry. As connectivity speeds increased, the market for Online Backup services expanded…

During the time that faster modems and internet protocols were in development, tape backup systems gained in popularity. The mainstay of larger corporations since the 1950’s, tape backup saw significant improvements with the advent of the 8mm and 4mm tape formats, achieving then-revolutionary local transfer speeds of 240 KB per second. Cottage industries sprung up as the technology began to transform existing paper record storage businesses into larger tape transport and storage enterprises. Because of the ongoing costs associated with moving these tapes around and the relatively high failure rates of restoring data from tapes, companies began to research and develop ways to transfer data over telephone lines. Software costs were as high as $125,000 for the first reliable product, and high-speed modems were still relatively scarce. The need for an affordable, reliable online backup system was becoming clear. In 1987 Remote Backup Systems, Inc.’s founder introduced the first commercially available online backup system to a group of physicians in Memphis, TN. Originally designed for backing up medical records to a remote location, the requirements were strict on features including encryption, compression, authentication, and other high security measures. As connectivity speeds increased, the market for online backup services expanded. The advent of Cable and DSL modems offered an opportunity for the average business to take advantage of the latest in secure data transfer technology. During the tech boom of the 1990’s this service gained widespread acceptance among many industries, including small and medium sized organizations that began to rely more heavily on PCs for their businesses profitability. Now, as high-speed connectivity is becoming commonplace and the general acceptance of secure data transfer increases, the service is gaining mainstream popularity. Many IT firms are looking to add service offerings which provide a recurring revenue stream while requiring minimal resource dedication – and online backup is more attractive than ever. From dedicated remote backup service providers to ‘data management companies’ who are actually in the advertising sales business, the landscape of this industry is becoming more difficult to navigate every day.

Reseller, Client and Server, or Data Repository – Who Has My Data, and Where? When a business decides to add Remote Backup to their data management plan, the subsequent decision on which type of service to choose can be equally as critical. The data backup industry is perhaps the most confusing market segment in all of digital data management, due largely to the amount of marketing hype and misinformation in the industry as well as the sheer number of companies in this space. To cut through some of the confusion and propaganda, it can safely be said that there are three main types of remote backup companies an organization can choose to do business with: •Backup Service Resellers – These companies act as middlemen, charging their clients for the use of another company’s backup software, hardware, and support network. They may offer some education and assistance during the sales and support process, and they may appear as a more secure option due to their affiliation with a larger company. Resellers usually have no physical responsibility or control over stored data, and may not even know where the data physically rests at any given time. The ability to deliver data to a client organization is dictated primarily by the hosting company, not the sales organization, and the details around this process are typically contained in sub-paragraphs of the contract. These companies are also frequently in direct competition with their own suppliers, which can result in strained supply chain relations and hierarchal availability of services. •Online Data Storage /Data Repository Vendors – Like their names imply, data storage and repository companies rent space on their servers and allow clients to simply park data there. Users are typically required to manually log in to the service, to configure the repository to fit their needs, and to manually move data to the vendor’s storage area. Usually deployed separately from an automated and secure data protection measure, data repositories can allow individuals or organizations to share data by uploading it to a third-party server or mailing disks in to be loaded by the hosting company, enabling access by others on a password-protected basis. These offerings can run the gamut from consumer photo-sharing applications to more sophisticated products which allow sharing and collaboration on projects, documents, and other data. •Remote Backup Service Providers – These are the specialists within the data backup and recovery field. Typically using locally-hosted client and server software and owning their own storage servers, these companies can extend a completely automated and secure data backup service while maintaining an active role in the deployment, configuration, service, and support of the product. These providers have a significant capital investment and many hours of education and product testing behind them prior to offering the service commercially. Remote Backup service providers are usually technically proficient consultants and are also typically experienced in the areas of technical support, networking, and even software development. Many local remote backup service providers, after a review of many options, have added online backup to their existing portfolio of technology services. This allows them to offer qualified, professional expertise and a more diverse range of services to their clients. Many companies have signed on as resellers to avoid the cost of supporting their own solution, or to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ in their respective markets. It is much easier and less expensive for many tech firms to become a sell-through point for another company instead of hosting their own solution, especially if their core business isn’t related to data management. Remote Backup providers who host or supervise their solutions locally tend to offer more personalized service; a stronger, more configurable and mature product, and enhanced comfort for the client because of their availability for onsite interaction and consultation. Customer Service in the Online Backup Marketplace – What Does It Mean? Perhaps the most important difference between the types of companies discussed above is the availability and level of customer service they offer to their clients. Customer Service is a major cost center for larger-scale operations, especially considering that the company’s revenues may not be directly tied to the product they are supporting. Support at larger companies is frequently outsourced, and can result in overwhelmed tech support numbers that ring directly through to voicemail, ‘whisper-down-the-lane’ effect on basic support information, little if any trending or analysis of incoming tech issues, and staff that are simply not responsive or knowledgeable about the product or processes involved in the service. Clients of larger online data companies are typically required to choose from prepackaged service offerings and, due to attempts at automated sales processes, often receive limited direction or assistance from a qualified individual at the point of sale. Depending on the specifics of the contract, many clients are also left to deal with the restoration of bulk-delivered data alone, or to discover and negotiate terms for this service during a critical data-loss period. In the case of one very prominent ‘Data-Mart’ type company, the cost per gigabyte to restore data is a whopping 20 times the cost of the backup of that same amount of data. On the other hand, customer service is the hallmark of most remote backup service providers and typically begins during the sales process. The provider has the opportunity to become familiar with the business processes and network architecture of an organization, and is able to tailor the service offering to fit the specific needs and budget of individual client companies. Remote backup service providers frequently bundle other valuable services within the pricing of their online backup service. These services can include the physical re-installation and configuration of operating systems, application software, as well as the supervision of the actual data restore and placement procedure in the event of a major data loss event. For small and medium businesses without a dedicated IT staff, this is an especially critical consideration. When researching and contacting backup service providers take note of whom, if anyone, answers the phone and what they know or are willing to learn about: •Your business and business processes •The value and configuration of your data and networks •Your staff, location, clientele, and customer base

Cost/Benefit Analysis of Remote Backup Services – Don’t Believe the Hype As with most cut-rate professional services, budget data service outfits tend to offer a mass appeal marketing approach and a lower level of service. The ‘get what you pay for’ concept has been proven time and again in many technology sectors. Don’t believe the marketing hype. If it sounds too good to be true, it IS too good to be true, and it is extremely difficult to uncover the critical shortcomings of a bargain-basement service until after a data loss event. This industry like others is rife with concepts that are more myth and legend than reality. Internet-based ‘bare metal restore’ utilities and companies offering to backup a ‘full’ 50 gigabytes every night are designed to grab a shopper’s attention – not to hold it. Limitations in source or destination bandwidth, proper scanning and file preparation, and basic storage and security protocols typically undermine the utility of these whiz-bang products in an actual business setting. As with any business, these services have to generate cash flow in some way to make up for the fire sale pricing they stamp on their services. Many low-cost data service companies actually derive the majority of their revenue from selling advertising space on their service’s website or product user interface, or by making their clients’ email addresses available to advertisers and partners. An organization needs to consider the long term when shopping for Remote Backup service. Are the trendy, ultra low-cost pricing models sustainable? What would it cost your organization to support a sudden move to a different provider or service? Will there be a backup blackout period during the changeover? Remote Backup service providers offer a sustainable, cost effective approach to data backup services, and have the longevity in the marketplace to prove it. When evaluating companies, contact the tech support lines, ask questions about security, automation, and version control. Request a restore session during your demo period and find out in what format the data will be delivered after the demo. In other words, spend some time evaluating the technical competencies of both product and staff to ensure that you are getting the service that your organization needs, not just the flavor-of-the-week at a low price

13.9 percent rate may appear so fair but will it stay ceaseless after you’re going to riposte your credit loan. Check out to see if the moneylender who wants to give you a bank loan is beneficial. That’s the reason why now you need to go out and realize if you can have a loan at a upright percent loan rate. A merchant bank in Huntsville Alabama or so may have a total completely different actual interest rate for a 5000 dollar deferred payment then a bank in Hawthorne California and that makes a big clear gap in your yearly pay backs. It doesn’t matter if you live in Binghamton New York or in Newport Beach California a just online examination will salve you often a lot trouble. You should be hopeful today to investigate if you have a special offer or if you don’t with the merchant bank that offers you a money loan. Many of the merchant banks wil show you a interest rate that looks serious but doesn’t feel well or so after a period of time.

The translation says: Woon je in Capelle aan den IJssel of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht en hebt u BKR notering. Lenen met en BKR codering is nog nooit zo gemakkelijk geweest. Koop een ander huis met geld lenen zonder toetsing, 470138 euro is geen obstakel om te financieren. Van Veenendaal tot Eersel, financieren met en BKR codering is hier geen enkel probleem.

At this moment you can inquire interest rates quickly on the internet and experience if there are other conditions you should be aware of.

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Mobile Internet Broadband the up to date brand used to explain an assortment sorts of devices that provide you with the most modern faze located in technology, this is wireless high speed broadband access without the wires and without a fixed line connection. Wireless broadband gives you the handiness to use your mac book where ever you are located. All you need to do put in your USB modem and off you go, simple wireless internet broadband everywhere you are. There are many great value different deals to go for with many types of contractors. The providers are O2, Vodaphone, and Orange. These traders have all taken the lead with supplying wireless broadband internet, although these mobile phone networks have at first focused on marketing the service to mac book users.

Wireless Internet has become astonishingly accepted & just about three million UK Wireless Broadband consumers presently connect wirelessly to the Wireless Internet at the office. This is a number that always on the rise as more consumers get wise to both benefits of wireless mobile internet. Mobile and Wireless uses high speed mobile broadband access this is because it regularly has a high rate of data transmission. Not only is it ten to 100 times speedier than a dial up account it doesn’t tie up the phone line so you can make & receive calls as normal while you use the internet. You will be billed a simple monthly fee for a permanently on connection therefore there is no need to dial in to get online, all we have to do is turn on the laptop & your are online.

According to Matthew Marotta, President of Datacraft Solutions, “If American manufacturers labor costs were free, administrative costs would still make them the high cost competitor.” Joining Marotta at the AME Boston 2005 Annual Conference is Kevin Sumstine, former director of Corporate Purchasing, Planning, and Logistics for dj Orthopedics. The two Lean manufacturing leaders will address, “Best of Breed Lean Electronic Supply Chain Best Practices.”

This presentation will highlight the latest technology for utilizing electronic kanban within the factory floor as well as with customers and suppliers. Electronic kanban systems combined with unique scheduling tools, dramatically reduces inventory levels, increases turns, enhances supplier/customer relationships and improves the accuracy of manufacturing schedules. This presentation focuses on implementations of these systems at a number of lean and non-lean companies and will show the dramatic results obtained.

Datacraft Solutions’ mission is to be the Lean Manufacturer’s indispensable partner in building trusted and efficient inventory replenishment networks. Marotta clearly states, “Where the right amount of defect product is delivered to the right place at the right time in the right quantity at the lowest possible cost.”

The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) is facilitating communities of like minded companies who are dedicated to implementing Best Practices within their Kanban / Consumption based replenishment process. Datacraft Solutions provides a best of breed kanban automation system via the web with services focused around Kiazen events that enable our partners of all sizes to gain a global competitive advantage when implementing a mission critical process within their organization.

Sumstine has a professional experience has been in Manufacturing, Purchasing and Planning functions within both Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Industries. He has had responsibilities for Continuous Improvement Programs targeting operational improvement activities, company-wide cost savings programs and supply chain management enhancements.

For more information about the Association for Manufacturing (AME) Excellence Boston conference visit http://ame.org/Events/2005/Boston/

Datacraft Solutions www.datacraffsolutions.com Matthew Marotta 800-819-5326

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For those of you that don’t already know, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allows you to make telephone calls using your internet connection. VoIP converts your voice to a digital signal which is sent over the internet to where you made your call. The digital signal is converted back to an analog one when it reaches its destination. This allows you to make calls to anyone you want, regardless if they use VoIP.

Setting Up Your VoIP System Setting up your VoIP system is simple. To start you need to have a broad band internet connection. If you choose a company like Vonage for your VoIP service you will need to buy their hardware. It is a rather inexpensive purchase that is installed like a router; between your computer and your internet connection. Plug in a standard phone and you are ready to go. The VoIP phone works the same as your traditional phone system.

What Are Some Advantages of VoIP? The big advantage is cost savings. Since your calls are made over the net there really is no long distance. So right away you save on long distance charges. This is the primary reason why VoIP has become so popular.

Another advantage to VoIP is that it can allow you to disconnect your regular phone line. If you have broadband internet there is no need for you to maintain a telephone line as well. VoIP frees you from having to have this phone line. More money saved. A secondary phone number from a different area code is also a big advantage. With some voice over IP services you can get a second phone number from an area code where you receive a lot of calls form. For example, if your parents live in Toronto and you live in New York you can get a second number with a Toronto area code. Now your parents can call a local number to reach you in New York. Now they save on long distance as well.

Disadvantages of VoIP. With any new technology there are some down sides as well. Voice over IP is no exception. With some VoIP services 911 calls are not possible. In general this is a small issue, after all how often do you call 911. However, when you need 911 it is really important that the service works.

VoIP is power dependant. If there is a power outage your VoIP phone will likely not work. Although this problem also happens with most regular cordless phones.

If your internet connection has periods of slow service this will have a negative effect on your VoIP phone. The result will be calls where your voice will be broken up and garbled.

It is quite likely that you will not be able to access services you enjoy with your regular phone service. Although features like voice mail, call waiting, call forwarding, can be obtained with your VoIP service directory assistance will likely not work.

You also may not be able to use your current phone number. If you do not live in a major center it is unlikely that you will be able to simply roll your current number over to your VoIP service. This is the problem I currently have and is the last stumbling block before I can go with VoIP. The only number I can get would be for a city 4 hours away. The result would be that anyone calling from where I live would have to call long distance to phone me.

Anytime you have to make a decision to go with new technology you have to way the advantages with the disadvantages. If you can live with the few disadvantages that voice over IP currently has you can save a lot of money on your long distance calls.

Most online poker rooms have boxes that you can check that will allow you to select your action in advance. If you use these boxes, the software will automatically make the action you’ve selected when it becomes your turn to act. These generally are called “in-turn” buttons and are a bad idea unless it’s for folding.

The main problem with using the “in turn” is that the other players will know that you are using it. This is because the software will instantly act on your choice when it becomes your turn to act, making it clear to the other players that you have pre-selected your action. This really isn’t an advantage to you in any way.

A lot of players use multi-play poker tables and thus use this “in-turn” feature to increase their effiency. But what about if you are in the big blind with a bad hand, and you have checked the box that automatically checks your preflop option if the pot is unraised and folds your hand if the pot is raised. When it becomes your turn, the software will act on your hand instantly, and the other players will know which box you have checked. Why is this bad? After a few turns, this becomes a major advantage for your opponents. If the pot is unraised and your move comes instantly, your opponents will know that you have a bad hand, for example. If your opponents know that you use the “in-turn” fold button regularly, they will be more inclined to try to steal your blind.

But let’s say, by chance, you happen to be against a player who raises instantaneously. The first reason someone might do so is because they had a strong hand and were going to raise no matter what happened before the call came to them. Opponents generally have a strong hand whenever they raise instantaneously on the turn or river.

Many opponents will raise instantaneously on the flop as a semi-bluff with two overcards or some other type of draw; therefore, they could have a strong hand or are just trying for a free card.

But sometimes players use reverse psychology to bully you into calling their strong hands. They want you to think, “He would never raise so fast with a good hand, so he might be bluffing.”

So you can see that using the “in-turn” buttons gives free information to your opponents, which can be used against you – but, also, you can gain information from how your opponents use (or misuse) the boxes. In addition to this, things can happen in the game between the time you check the box and the time the software acts for you, which may alter your correct play. However, some of your poker opponents will use them, so it is important to recognize when they have used them and what it might possibly indicate about their hand.

With new technology allowing for many new innovations, DVD duplication is becoming very popular. Before considering DVD duplication, it’s important to gain an understanding of what is permitted and what is not. Films that have copyright protection may not be duplicated in any way. Doing so could result in serious penalties, so just don’t do it. However, DVD duplication can be wonderful if you want to transfer photos onto a disk or if you have family movies that you wish to transfer from old VHS tapes or from one DVD to another.

Before you begin, try and determine what you want to get out of your DVD. Do you plan to erase the contents of the disc and record over it someday or do you plan to leave the contents on the disc permanently? If you ever plan to erase or record over the contents of a DVD, then you will need to purchase a DVD-RW. This abbreviation stands for DVD rewritable disc and means that it can be recorded and erased just the same as a VHS video. If you do not intend to erase the contents of a DVD, then a DVD+R will work fine. These are more affordable than the DVD-RW discs, but it’s important to keep in mind that a DVD+R can never be recorded over again. Once the contents are recorded, they are there to stay. The same is true with a music CD. If you want to have the flexibility of recording and re-recording audio music, you will need to purchase a CD-RW disc. If you do not plan to record over the contents at any point in the future, a CD+R disc will be the more affordable option for your project.

DVD duplication is a wonderful way to preserve memories and even share copies of those memories with family. Have you recorded your child’s first steps of his/her first birthday? If so, consider putting them on to a DVD and mailing them to other members of the family who live out of state and aren’t there to witness the everyday occurrences. It will give them a feeling of being close and they will love to see such a touching video. In order to create a successful DVD duplication, you will need a DVD recording unit. Up until several years ago, these products were nonexistent, but now they are everywhere. You can find them in the electronics section of your local retail store or online at virtually any electronic or retail website.

DVD duplication is a wonderful way to preserve your old memories while making new ones at the same time. Just as Beta left us years ago, VHS systems are soon to follow. With the new creation of DVD and DVD duplication devices, it’s never to soon to convert those precious home video memories onto DVD format. Years from now, if all of your home movies are on VHS, what happens when the VHS player develops operational problems? There may not be another system to purchase, but you can take great comfort in knowing that there will be DVD players.

I propose research be done to make unmanned tunneling machines to help in warfare. Today more than ever we see the problems with urban warfare. We have developed great techniques such as aerial unmanned vehicles, robotic mechanisms, devices which see in the dark, through buildings and around corners. We have listening devices, scanners, helicopters and special tactics training with the help of virtual reality, mock buildings and pop-up back guys like an advanced video game on in a practice city block.

We are fighting urban warfare house-by-house and room-by-room. We are often met by insurgents, who will hide and wait for our advances or they will booby trap buildings and plant above ground roadside bombs along our logistical paths.

This is why I propose easily deployable unmanned tunneling machines, which can go into the battlespace, undetected and underground where they are not suspected. Pop up into a room or building or behind a wall and take care of business. These units can be deployed and help save and rescue captured hostages, which await execution by beheading. We have larger tunneling devices, which are used to make roads, build rail tunnels, runoff ditches or make way for pipes, cables or telephone lines. A scaled down version of this with a very powerful tunneling tool attachment might give us the edge we need and the element of surprise as the enemy is expecting a helicopter, UAV, SWAT team special forces approach or typical tactic.

A tunneling machine could show up unexpectedly in the enemies back yard, throw out a small explosive device or a non-lethal stun weapon into a room or near a wall and then send a signal of coast is clear to the good guys. Great for hostage situations or rescue as well. Many uses indeed.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Have you ever wondered about your ethnic origin? Do you know for sure where all your ancestors were from and which countries’ histories were a direct influence on the people who made you who you are?

I’ve always known I’m Canadian, but not until recently did I wonder: am I part Finnish?

It was just last week when I was broadcasting to the world on MSN that I was “60% Finnished” a personal project when I became truly intrigued about my heritage. What I was trying to tell the world was that I was 60% finished a large-scale car engine endeavor; however one of my friends that HAS to be right about everything pointed out that I wasn’t spelling correctly. Was I just a bad speller or could it be that I was sending out an underlying message about my own self? I facetiously pointed out to Ms. Always-right that it was conceivable I was a descendant of Finland, and that perhaps she was wrong for once. But was it really true? I’ve always loved Finland’s flashy flag; I can’t seem to get enough of the Finnish rhubarb stew; and on top of it all, I keep christening custom toboggans in the name of Finland. How could I find out if I really am Finnish?

A good friend showed me that there is hope! Ethnicity testing is available to me and anyone else with similar curiosities (not necessarily a Finnish fetish, of course). There are also applications that extend beyond personal curiosity, but for the most part, everything the test tells you is more-than-fascinating.

Ethnicity testing starts with the widely held assumption that all human DNA originates in Africa and the goes on a 150-thousand-year journey. The test is the first of its kind ever developed. It reports proportional European, Western sub-Saharan African (African) and East Asian ancestry. For example, one person may obtain a result of 80% European 20% East Asian, while another may type as 33% African, 22% East Asian and 22% European. The DNA test is accurate to from 4-8% and sensitive enough to detect, for many customers, a single (100%) African or European great-great-grandparent or a single (100%) East Asian great grandparent.

As far as I know, the only Scandinavian blood in me is due to a package of Swedish Fish; however, with ethnicity testing, I can make my own claim to the honorable Finland.

Pete McFraser is a marketing representative of DNA Bioscience, a company that excels in issues regarding paternity answers.

Order a free DNA kit from DNA Bioscience.

By spending just a few minutes on reading the Tips below, Research Results and Suggestions, you can start saving Thousands of Dollars in your International Phone Calls, tons of your Valuable Time and avoid a lot of Hassles.

In order to choose the Best Prepaid Card to suit your Long Distance calling needs, you should be aware of certain facts, details and understand how the Phone Cards operate. First of all I want to tell you One Truth: in general there is NO such a think as “the Best Phone Card”. It all depends on your specific calling needs, habits and purposes: Who Calls, Whom You Call, From Where You Call, (To) Where You Call and How You Call. Most likely not all of these will apply to you (usually one or two factors apply). By taking a moment on reading and comparing several cards’ Terms/Conditions and Charging Fees, based on your calling needs, you will be able to choose the Right Card and use it over and over and SAVE BIG.

First, let me introduce the main Terms and Charges that usually apply to most of Prepaid Cards (Actual physical Cards and Instant PIN Delivery Online Cards).
Prepaid Phone Card: It is a card which you purchase (for a set price) and use to make long distance domestic or international phone calls. They allow holders to make calls up to the value of the card, by dialing a local access # or Toll Free # and entering a PIN.
Value of a card: Phone Cards come in different denominations: $2, $3, $5, $20 and $50. The most popular ones are $5s and $10s. You want to choose a card which suits your needs. Sometimes it is best to use a $5 or $10 card and complete your phone calls and not worry about the connection fees, maintenance fees and rounding fees. So, a $50 card, which provides a better rate than a $10 card, may become pricier than 5 (five) $10 cards. For this reason you should also consider that cards could expire without using all available minutes.
Per Minute Rate: This is the rate that is billed for each minute of the conversation that the caller engages in and is usually expressed in cents per minute. Many prepaid phone cards will have a cheap per minute rate, but may have very high connection or other types of fees.

Connection Fee: It is charged when a telephone call gets connected. The call is considered to be connected as soon as someone answers, including connecting to an answering machine, fax, voice mail or pager. Connection fees vary widely between cards. Lots of cards have No Connection Fees (usually those have higher per minute rates than the cards with Connections Fees).
Maintenance Fee: Some cards charge a maintenance fee either when the first phone call is connected or after the first phone call is finished. This is a scheduled fee that might be applied weekly, semi-weekly or monthly. This is applied to almost all prepaid phone cards.
Minutes Rounding: It is used to calculate the length of a phone call by rounding them. If it rounded to 2 minutes, a 30 seconds phone call will be considered as a 2 min. call and a 3 min. call will be considered as a 4 min.
Expiration Date: Many prepaid phone cards will expire after certain period. This time span is usually 3-6 months and it is usually counted from the card’s first use.
Communication Fee: Certain phone cards charge a communication fee. The advertised total minutes look more attractive because this fee is usually applied after the call is finished. Look out to see if your card charges this fee.
Pay-Phone Surcharge: There is usually a surcharge when you use a public pay-phone.
Calls to cell phones: A different rate may apply when you make calls to cell phones using a calling card.
Tax: Some prepaid phone cards charge a monthly tax or one time tax (not common). Try to avoid it by checking the information for your phone card carefully.
Once you get familiar with International Phone Cards’ terms and fees, check what factors you should consider on choosing the right cards for your calling needs, which will help you to get maximum benefits, comfort, lowest rates, best services and Huge Savings. In the long run using these particular calling cards will minimize hassles and problems related to international callings.
To make this process easier and more productive lets go through the above mentioned questions (Who, Whom, Where, How…) one by one and lets start from the most important one:
(To) Where You Call?-this means what country or what specific city in that country you wand to call. To make it easier understand, let me illustrate whatever I am going to say on the real company’s (Phone Cards Gallery) website (this is the website, from where I do almost all my online phone card purchases. I, personally, like that company’s site, because they have great services and products with huge variety, have very useful Searching Tools, good Useful Links and Tips, and most important I like their Specials and Discounts on most of their cards). Once you go to that company’s Home Page ( http://www.PhoneCardsGallery.com ), in the left side you will see “Discount Calling Card Finder” section. In the “country” box choose your calling country. If the city (in that country) which you want to call is listed also, then choose that city. If you are calling to a cell phone, choose the country (-) dash “cell”. IN general, major cities have better rates (more calling time) than the country. After choosing your destination, click “Get Phone Cards!” button. The site’s searching tool will find all the cards which provide calling services to your country and will organize the cards with highest calling minutes to the lowest minutes (Top Ranking). Now we know which cards give the best calling minutes to your country, but this is just the beginning. First, look at the list with Top Ranking Cards (usually top 10 or 20 cards). Second thing you need to consider is the cards “Quality” (Blue Stars next to the Cards’ names”). Always give preferences to those cards which have better Qualities (more stars). The most preferred cards are once with 4 or 5 (5 is maximum) stars. Having Local Access numbers (for the State or City that you are located or you calling from) is also very important. It is recommended to choose a card that has Local Access numbers. Usually, by using Toll Free 1-800 number, instead of Local Access numbers, additional Per Minute Charges may apply. Next to the cards’ names (“Calling Card Name” column), inside the prentices, they usually show if that particular card has Local Access numbers for your state or a city. Some cards that have Local Access #s, in the card’s detail page, will provide a link (“Local Numbers”) to the new page with the list of all available Local Access #. Others will provide (by Automated Answering Service) the Local Access # when you call by using their Toll Free # and choosing “yes” to their question: “Do you need Local Access #?” In this case, after you get Local Access #, you need to hang up and call using given Local #.

Who Calls?- this means if you are using regular phone or payphone to make your calls. If you are using a payphone, in the cards’ terms check if they charge additional fees for using a payphone, how much it is and compare with other cards to make your decision.

Whom You Call?- this means if you are calling to a regular phone or to a cell phone. If you are calling to a cell phone, in the Terms check if they charge different rates for cell phones and make your decision accordingly.

From Where You Call?- this means from which country (USA or Canada), State or City you are calling from. Some cards you can use only from certain states or cities and that usually very easy to notice: either card’s name include that state’s or city’s name (Ex. Crazy-Crazy Los Angeles) or nest to the card’s name it says the name of the state or the city for which that card is designed for. Usually those cards have Local Access #s for that state, county or city. If you see that the card, beside 800 #, has Local Access # also, then it means that the card is specialize or designed for that specific area only. Some cards could work only from specified location (state) and in the detail page of those cards, on the “Toll Free” line will say “(Works From X State Only!)”. So, be careful and do not buy these types of cards if you are not in that state. So, make your decision accordingly, and choose the cards that specialize on your state or city. Many cards have No Local Access numbers (they have only Toll Free #) and you can use them from any states.

How You Call? – This means that what are your calling durations and frequencies: are you going to make a few long calls with your card or many short calls? If you are planning to make one or two long phone calls, then the most important factor that you will need to consider is Calling Rate (or Calling Time). You will need to choose the cards that give higher calling minutes (same as lower calling rates). The Connection Fees, Maintenance Fees, Communication Fees, Minute Rounding Rates, Expiration Date and other similar fees and factors are not so important and relevant for long calls. However, those mentioned fees and factors are very important to consider if you going to make many (frequently) short calls. You may consider getting cards with comparably lesser calling minutes (higher rates) but minimum charges for above mentioned fees. In this case you also will need to prefer cards with longer Expiration Date and smaller rates for Minute Rounding. Therefore, the card with higher calling time is not necessary is the best card for you if you are planning to make short calls. To make frequent short calls, you will need a card with No Connection Fee, Minimum or No charges for Maintenance, Communication and also smaller number for Rounding Minutes. Generally short calls are those which are lasting less than 15 min.

By considering all the above mentioned factors and options, now you are able to choose the right cards that will SAVE you the most money. There are numerous prepaid phone cards out there and yes, there are some major differences between the fees they charge. If you are serious about getting the most out of your hard earned dollars, take the time and just one time compare different cards and choose the best one for your needs. Once you found the best one for your needs, you can use the same card over and over and SAVE MONEY and TIME, as long as you are satisfied with that card’s services. Online phone cards stores (one of them I already mentioned to you: http://www.PhoneCardsGallery.com ) and their tools make comparison of different cards’ rates, terms, fees, advantages and disadvantages much easier. Buying phone cards over the internet is also safe, very convenient and profitable (they provide lots of discounts and you can choose the right cards and save)

About the Author

Karo Yegyan is an Economist, Business Researcher, Publisher with interest in fairness for consumer advice.