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Summary
Please don't come away from this article with the idea that we advocate doing anything illegal or in violation of copyright laws with regard to unlocking or "jailbreaking" wireless phones. Various kinds of blocks and software installed in wireless devices may simply be geared toward creating a captive customer base for the service provider. During an emergency, such as a service outage, this arrangement may be contrary to your customers' need to reach you, and in those cases you'll want to get onto another carrier's service as soon as possible.
Thankfully, some carriers are wising up. In addition to programs like the iTalk application we've discussed here, consider the fact that Verizon Wireless now lets customers make VoIP calls via Skype. T-Mobile makes phones available that automatically switch between wireless service and your home or office hotspot—for only an additional $10/month. That's some pretty cheap insurance.
The next time you select a wireless device, take disaster recovery and resiliency into account, making sure that you can stay in touch no matter what happens. Don't think this need is important? Try leaving your iPhone, Blackberry, or other wireless device at home for the day. That trick should make you a believer.
In part 2 of this series, we'll consider the importance of developing corporate standards for your wireless devices.