The Gig Economy – A New Solution? Perhaps not.

The headlines are everywhere. “The way the world looks at business is changing.” “The new economy – the “Gig” economy- is coming alive”. With the rise of companies like Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb, the claims about the gigging world are increasing and everyone is talking about it. Even LinkedIn predicts that by 2020, 43% of the U.S. workforce will be comprised of gig workers. It’s the latest. It’s the greatest. Except it isn’t.

Everything old is new again

Gigging is simply a new terms for a tried and tested model that has been around for years known as consulting or freelancing. The difference?  New tools to support it including cloud-based applications, enhanced mobility, and “giggers” who are joining the consultancy force at earlier points in their careers.

Just as before, the Corporate IT department is a strong participant in the Gig Economy using outside, specialized resources to correct internal issues. From network architects to coders, the consulting environment makes perfect sense in IT. Nowhere is that more evident than in Telecom.

Even the savviest of IT-telecom managers in organizations recognize a simple truth.  Telecom is a complicated animal to tackle. Rapidly changing technologies, extended contracting cycles, and a shift in the “utility mindset” of telecom makes decision making, cost containment, and strategically planning for future states difficult. That is why many of these professionals look to telecom consultants – or giggers for the purposes of this discussion – who know the industry inside and out.

These highly experienced giggers have been tackling telecom challenges and implementing updated technologies and services within organizations for years. In fact, their ability to rapidly align their knowledge and experience and leverage it within an organization’s culture ensures a quick resolution to voice systems issues, integration of new technology, and stabilization of the voice and data landscape. All without a permanent desk inside the IT department.

Gigging in telecom to an organization truly does fulfill the promise of the gigging economy just as it has in the business world for years. The priority of cost savings coupled with access to the latest knowledge workers in a rapidly changing industry ensures the organization is not only ever left behind, but is well positioned with its telecom vendors.

Best of all? These telecom giggers keep cost savings as a top priority. For example, they can be “gigged-in” to perform bill and service audits designed to reduce operating costs. The telecom gigger quickly provides the organization a strong ROI – knowing up to the minute ways that businesses can make changes, set solid strategy, and most important, save money – along with becoming a welcome extension to an already overwhelmed IT/Telecom team.

At the end of the day, whether you call outside telecom professionals – freelancers, consultants, or giggers – the most important thing to remember is to make sure that you actually call them! After all, for years they have been giving IT teams a break from the telecom confusion, and truly do bring the experience you need to save both time and money!

The BAZ Group is a communications technology consultant – or a collection of expert “giggers” if you will – who work with corporations both large and small to reduce costs and manage the complexity of the telecom environment.   Learn more about what we do!

-C. Benoit, J. Osenbaugh (Ed.),