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COU (SMS & BBM) Monitoring?

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Posted by: ctoutlaw981

Not sure if anyone has heard anything of this nature, but thought I would toss it out there to see people's thoughts. There are rumors going around that the company is starting to monitor employee COU usage dealing with texting and internet usage. While I find this to be understandable, the troubling thing is that I heard that they are reviewing sms & bbm messages that people have been sending and anything they find illegal/improper they are weeding them out and terminating them. I have done some research on the subject and keep getting conflicted results as to whether or not the monitoring of text or bb messages could even be possible on such a large network. If they could monitor our usage, logic would be that they would be able to monitor anyone's usage, which I am sure would raise eyebrows when dealing with privacy laws. Anyone care to share their thoughts on this?


Posted by: smartnewbie

Technically the company owns the phone and is paying for the usage. From my understanding they can go through your phone messages anytime they want. You should be discreet on your COU.


Posted by: classylady78

I am very careful about not even using profanity on my COU. It is company property and technically not ours. They have the right to search it so I keep anything I don't want anyone else seeing off of it.


Posted by: ATnt-RSC

They do specific searches if something is suspected, though I've never seen a case of it. The vast majority or reps use their COU line as a personal line, and while there used to be a pretense of "this is for business use only" it's never been enforced. I've got a lot of RSM buddies with 5+ years with the company and to their or my knowledge, no one has EVER been busted for what they said or messaged on their COU. Since the iPhone came out, and was available only on COU or consumer plans, I've never even heard the old lines about COU=business only. I've been encouraged by my ARSM to buy an iPhone for my COU, but that might be because he's behind in his iPhone sales quota and needs to move product.

So, wrapping things up...can they search your records for items against policy? Yes. Will they? No. At least not proactively. Can they confiscate company phones? Yes. Will they? Not unless you're already being fired over something else.


Posted by: socosurf4

Honestly, people here do whatever they want on there COU. I mean, with reason. Alot of people now use there COU as a personal line as well at company. Just like your email, they will only monitor it if they have reason to. There are thousands of employees, I doubt their priorities are monitoring our texting.


Posted by: Vintage_DuDe05

Question..how can they take away a COU phone if u paid for it? Example I ordered the blackjack 1 about 2 or 3 months ago as my COU through the COU site. Then about 2 weeks ago I brought myself a brand new 8GB iPhone to use as my COU. How can they take that if u paid for it? I'm just wondering...


Posted by: vdubguy

They can't take your iPhone, but they can take your Blackjack and also close your account if they please.


Posted by: JustJoe

I know that SMS and MMS can be tracked, but BBM messages? Those are transmitted through the BIS...

Good reason for some of us not to use the OZ messenger.


Posted by: krisguy

I'm not too worried about it.

Our market just started a "Data Pro" program, where one person in the store is considered the "Data Pro". This person gets more leeway with SMS and data usage on their COU, because they are expected to try to use different things on their phones.

Basically I was told as long as I'm not violating anything big on the COU terms, my usage wouldn't matter.

I'm not doing anything illegal, and I'm using other software to show customers what they can do with their handsets, which is the spirit of this new program.


Posted by: moemoe26

They can't check BBM messages but can on SMS ...just be careful if something ever comes up they will use your sms against you. I have seen it before many times.


Posted by: moemoe26

thats why i keep my ture personal phone with a seperate company period.


Posted by: ctoutlaw981

While I understand where you guys are all coming from, the item on the agenda that concerns me is not the fact that it is a COU device, but the fact that they can monitor it. Our COU devices are nothing special, they all have IMEI and SIM numbers attached to them, however the issue I have is that if they have the ability to monitor them, what is from them to stop looking at anyones weither its COU or not? I dont think the network can be configured with some mysterious software to just look at specific models or sims, they would need an overall system that would allow them to look at OTA traffic and be able to read it, weither it be SMS, MMS, or BBM. If they can do it to employees, they can do it to paying customers as well.


Posted by: The Champ

I know that the SMS can be looked up. However BBIM? That goes through data... don't know if they could actually get a hold of that stuff.

I've never used my COU to say anything against company policies... but I still use it as my personal line.

I mean I work for a cell phone company. I'm not going to pay $70.00 a month. Thats $840.00 a year. I'm saving that money until I really need a line.


Posted by: dalynqwent

In our market, we get two COUS. One girl let her friend use her COU and the dummy was sending international SMS, HUGE NO NO.... Terminated in the end.


Posted by: JustJoe

Has anyone read the updated COU policy?

Quote:
Company-provided equipment and/or wireless service is intended to be for business use only. Eligible and approved employees may use their Company-provided wireless phone and/or data device for personal reasons on a limited basis as determined by each department, subject to the standards embodied in the Code of Business Conduct. Personal use of data devices and the messaging or email capabilities of a combination phone and data device is governed by the corporate email and Internet usage policies.

Any employee on a billable rate plan who exceeds the maximum minutes allotted due to personal use must reimburse the Company for the overage.
All information stored on a Company-provided wireless device is the property of AT&T and is subject to inspection at any time. Similarly, the company reserves the right at any time to review call detail records, text messages, SMS messages, email, and any other information reflecting or relating to usage of a Company-provided device. Employees have no expectation of privacy with respect to such information.


PM Me for the link if you need it.


Posted by: Stea1th

The plan is unlimted how would they expect you to pay if your over?


Posted by: JustJoe

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stea1th
The plan is unlimted how would they expect you to pay if your over?


COU is unlimited. COU is also only for Mobility employees. If you are an employee of one of the other divisions you might have a IRU line or a CRU line (standard corporate acct) and you would be on a regular plan. The new policy is for the entire company.




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