Conference 7.286::digital

Two points...
    
    1. Is there radiotelephone service in the areas you cover?
       Not even all of New Jersey is served by the two cellular
       companies (NYNEX and MetroOne). 
    
    2. Cellular phones cost around $1k, with monthly service
       charges from $15-30/mo + $.25 to $.50 per minute per call
       (In New Jersey). A possibility to buy a phone yourself and
       simply expense the phone calls you make for business. They
       are just as valid a business expense as calls made from a
       home phone or telephone booth.
    
    BTW, all radiotelephones are inherently INSECURE. Anyone with
    a scanning radio covering the 800 mhz band can easily intercept
    your calls. Though this is technically now illegal under the
    recent Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the law is
    totally unenforceable.
    
    Lou
    

    >1. Is there radiotelephone service in the areas you cover?
    
        Yes, we're talking trunked service and not cellular - cellular
        would do me little good out in this part of the country - we're
        talking *very* remote.  I've already checked into it and have
        found that there would be only very isolated areas where I
        would not be covered.
    
    >2. Cellular phones cost around $1K, with monthly service
        charges from $15-30/mo + $.25 to $.50 per minute per call.
        A possibility to buy a phone yourself and simply expense.....
    
        I've *offered* to do this and was told not to do so for since
        a "mandate" has come down concerning mobile communications
        there will probably be a "mandate" concerning writing off
        these charges.  Also, there's the psychological effect of
        using my somewhat limited personal finances to get something
        that I *really* need to do my job better, but, I've done it
        before (I bought my own VT220 for my office) and I'll do it
        again if necessary - you see I have a problem in that I love
        this company and I love my job.  I've, shall we say, "bent"
        the rules before but have reached a brick wall on this one.
    
    With respect to privacy - yes, I have a scanner and have spent hours
    listening to mobile communications before - not to use the information
    gained for any personal gain - just passing idle time.  Naturally,
    I would be very conscious of what I said with respect to business
    information on the air ways.
    
    Again, I feel like I've hit a brick wall - I'm sure the company
    has it's reasons, they can get very expensive in a case like mine
    (I could envision *hours* on the phone every week) but the payback
    would be handsome.
    
    Jerry

    Work with the companies that provide this service.  They may themselves
    have the right set of facts and marketing fog to help get through this
    wall. 
    
    Did you really buy a VT220 for your office out of funds from your
    own pocket?  Are you paying the chargebacks from DIS for systems,
    telecommunications, etc. from your own pocket or do you get a little
    help from your cost center?

    The justification is pretty easy - there's nothing more non productive
    than a salesperson in his car for 4 hours listening to Willie Nelson.
    The fact of the matter is that Osterhoff has put an absolute corporate
    clamp on this and there appears to be no exceptions.  Herein lies
    what I'm trying to find out about.
    
    Yes, I bought a VT220 from employee purchase.  Seems as though I
    went through (believe-it-or-not) working for 6 managers during a
    12 month period. Actually, I think it was 9 changes during a 18
    month period - then this geography was moved from one district to
    another district and I started over again - just got tired of "starting
    over" everytime I turned around.  I've always had access to a DIS
    system but no way *to* access.  Finally said to H*** with it and
    did it on my own.....and I thought hand-to-hand combat in the Marines
    was hard...........

    Just FYI, almost everyone in Finland (I mean everyone in the field,
    like sales, and I think most of FS) has a [cellular] phone in the
    car. In fact I think they'd have problems if the *refused* to have
    one (maybe someone working in Finland can comment?).
    

It used to be that employee expenses for items necessary to the job which
are not reimbursed by the employer are deductable on the employees federal
income tax.  With all the recent tax changes, I have no idea if this is
still true.

In your case it should not be hard to work up the figures showing sales
lost that could have been made if you had the phone.  Would a manager in
a more densely populated district allow his people to sit around the office
listening to Willie Nelson for HOURS every day when they could be selling
something instead?  In such a sparse area, you car IS your office.

Uh, DEC does provide the *car*, don't they?

    US Purchasing has established a supply base manager for cellular
    telephones.  The rules for them may apply to you.  The current
    commodity manager for cellular is Scott Harker, DTN 273-3542.  He
    knows the current rules.  All the VPs in the 3M area have them.

RE: .6
    
  > It used to be that employee expenses for items necessary to the job
  > which are not reimbursed by the employer are deductable on the
  > employees federal income tax.  With all the recent tax changes, I have
  > no idea if this is still true. 
    
    Well, Digital does provide me a terminal in my office, but I got
    tired a few years ago of not having any equipment at home.  When
    we had an Employee Purchase Plan, I bought a Rainbow, LA50, and
    modem for home.
    
    I called the IRS, and also talked to a CPA about taking a tax
    deduction.  The rule is this:  equipment is deductable as a business
    expense if and only if your employer is willing to write a letter
    stating that you were required to purchase the equipment in order
    to do your job.  My Rainbow was in no way deductable, even if I
    used it 100% for business and could prove it.
    
    That isn't right, it isn't fair, and it isn't reasonable.  It's
    just the IRS.
    
    							Pat

    
    
    	I guess I'm lucky I have no problems (virtually) getting equipment
    	for office AND home..
    
    						mike

    RE: .9
    
    Yes, Mike you are lucky. Try your luck on getting a car phone
    though. The field has different needs then us engineering folks.
    They also have different funding problems.

    It appears that field management doesn't work as hard at getting
    their people the tools they need as engineering management does.
    
    				Alfred

    Re .8:
    
    (Digression alert)
    
    The IRS rule about equipment only being deductible if your employer
    requires you to buy it only affects equipment placed in service
    after (I think) June 12, 1984.  If you bought your Rainbow, etc.
    before that, there is no such requirement.
    
    Bob

    RE: .10
    
    	Yea, I'd have a real hard time justifying the phone (unless
    	maybe I had a cellular modem but I digress) but a VT220 and
    	LA50 and Scholar for home wasn't a big deal at all. And my
    	office, well, I could go on and on about all the junk I have
    	in there but I won't. Bottom line is that you are right Alfred,
    	there are different needs for different groups. Although, my
    	belief is that the cost of a terminal and modem for home
    	pays itself back in virtually no time at all and ANY digital
    	employee SHOULD be able to get one with NO hassle. But I
    	don't hold the purse strings..

    
    							mike

    With respect to Scott Harker - .7 -bingo! The right man - success at
    last - now, I'm making progress!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!
    
    What three levels of management could not do, VAXnotes *did*. Now,
    maybe I'll make it through my 11th year at this job.