No. 9: Too-long contracts. Many IT organizations agree to unreasonably long contract terms, in the hope of avoiding the pain of contract negotiations as long as possible. Don't succumb to the temptation: Keep contracts as short as feasible (ideally, three years or less).

No. 10: Inaccurate or incomprehensible billing. Carriers should be responsible for providing accurate billing. Telecom managers should post payments of any contested bills to an escrow account -- and put the burden on the carrier to sort out what's correct.

The bottom line? Negotiating a solid telecom contract can pay big dividends.

Clarification: In my last column, , I used the example of a doctor given a speeding ticket to illustrate the dangers of warrantless searches of mobile devices.

A California police officer wrote to correct that example. He clarified that warrantless searches apply only in cases of arrest. Speeding tickets (and other traffic stops) constitute detentions, not arrests. However, if the subject of the traffic stop refuses to sign the ticket, he or she may then be arrested.