Blog

Written by: Larry Foster, Head of Product Strategy

According to Blue Hill Research, Communications Lifecycle Management (CLM) is a necessary evolution of telecom expense management that addresses the financial, technical, and compliance issues associated with the billing, device management, and support challenges in an increasingly connected world.

How does CLM differ from Telecom Expense Management (TEM)?

In it’s most simple form, where TEM focuses on telecom and mobility, CLM addresses the more complete view of unified communications (UC) which also includes instant messaging, VoIP, WebRTC, data, video conferencing and more. However, there is a lot more to it, so keep reading.

Why CLM, Why now?

Technology is increasing at an exponential rate, and it’s not slowing down. This has made Enterprise communications increasingly more complicated from traditional telephony systems to a complex array of cloud, mobile, and video technologies. Adding all this extra complexity has made the management of your communication assets a nightmare.

But I currently have a TEM solution…

TEM is a foundational building block of Communications Lifecycle Management. It has long helped companies manage invoices and identify opportunities for cost savings. However, as the number of vendors and services types grow, a traditional TEM approach won’t cut it in the long run. In contrast, a proper CLM approach sets up an expanded foundation for continual improvement within the growing array of communications tools.  So in the end, TEM is part of CLM, but CLM takes TEM to the next level.

Ok, so what does a full CLM solution look like?

A comprehensive CLM solution will be comprised of the following interrelated components:

• Centralize Asset Inventories – track every component of your telecommunications configuration extending from traditional phone systems to mobile devices and UC systems
• Lifecycle Management Capabilities – gain complete control of your assets from procurement to payment
• Service Support – an end-to-end support model that provides full visibility and control of all assets within your communications architecture
• Strategic Automation – save your users from repetitive tedious tasks and allow them to focus on value add functions
• Usage Management – Analyze everyday usage patterns to maximize the value of apps and hardware
• Shared Services Management – get a clear view of all shared services being used within the enterprise and their associated costs

To learn more about the differences between TEM and CLM and how you can be successful in making the shift to managing the full communications lifecycle, read our white paper “CLM vs. TEM: What’s the difference and why does it matter?”