Managing telecom expenses across a large organization presents unique challenges. With multiple carriers, diverse service types, and complex billing structures, enterprises often struggle to maintain visibility into their telecommunications spending while ensuring optimal cost management.
Modern telecom expense management (TEM) platforms address these pain points by automating invoice processing, centralizing vendor relationships, and providing the analytics needed to make informed decisions about telecommunications investments. The most effective solutions go beyond basic expense tracking to offer procurement support, technical inventory management, and proactive cost optimization.
Whether you’re dealing with escalating mobile costs, complex contract renewals, or the administrative burden of managing dozens of telecom vendors, the right TEM platform can streamline operations while delivering measurable savings. Here are five leading platforms that stand out in today’s competitive landscape.
1. Lightyear
Lightyear offers a fundamentally different approach compared to traditional TEM solutions. While standard platforms focus narrowly on invoices and expenses, Lightyear provides an integrated system that connects procurement, technical and financial inventory management, and bill payment in one cohesive product.
Unlike traditional TEM solutions that price services as a percentage of total telecom spend, Lightyear uses a service-count pricing model with a free procurement platform and fees determined by the count of services, not spend percentage.
Key Features of Lightyear:
- Automated RFP process across 1,200+ vendors with 70% time reduction
- Network inventory management tracking 30+ data points per service
- Single bill consolidation with automatic auditing against contracted rates
- Implementation tracking with automated escalations
- Contract renewal notifications and competitive rebidding initiation
- Integration capabilities and APIs for existing workflows
Advantages: Advanced procurement automation with significant time and cost savings, comprehensive technical inventory tracking, and transparent pricing model that aligns vendor incentives with customer cost optimization goals. The platform’s integration with accounting and ERP systems creates a unified workflow for telecom management.
Shortcomings: Voice and wireless usage monitoring requires partner solutions, making it less comprehensive for organizations needing full usage analytics in-house. As a newer platform, it may lack some of the mature features found in longer-established TEM solutions.
Pricing: Service-count based pricing with free procurement tool. Network Inventory Manager and Bill Consolidation have tiered pricing based on onboarded services quantity.
2. Tangoe
Tangoe manages telecom, mobile, and cloud expenses through its technology expense management platform. The system tracks spending patterns across an organization’s technology infrastructure while verifying compliance requirements, with support for multiple currencies and integration with various enterprise planning systems.
Key Features of Tangoe:
- Advanced invoice processing automation with dispute management
- Deep analytics and benchmarking tools for cost optimization
- Multi-currency support for global enterprises
- Enterprise planning system integrations
- Comprehensive compliance tracking and reporting
- Voice and wireless usage monitoring capabilities
Advantages: Advanced automation for invoice processing and dispute management reduces manual workload, while deep analytics and benchmarking tools help identify cost-saving opportunities and optimize vendor contracts. The platform’s multi-currency support and global reach make it particularly valuable for international enterprises.
Shortcomings: Limited portal customization makes the platform complex to navigate, user-reported legacy architecture requires significant manual data entry during implementation, and customers report the solution is expensive. Some users experience invoice upload delays that can take up to three weeks, causing payment processing issues.
Pricing: Pricing not publicly available.
3. Calero MDSL
Calero unifies management of telecom, mobile, communications, and software expenses in one platform. Detailed invoice processing functions work alongside inventory tracking systems, creating a complete picture of technology spending with departmental allocation and comprehensive reporting capabilities.
Key Features of Calero:
- Unified expense management across telecom, mobile, and software
- Automated invoice reconciliation and dispute resolution
- Granular analytics and compliance reporting tools
- Departmental cost allocation and business unit tracking
- Comprehensive inventory tracking systems
- Integration capabilities with existing enterprise systems
Advantages: Invoice reconciliation and automated dispute resolution help finance teams save time, while granular analytics and reporting tools support compliance requirements effectively.
Shortcomings: Users report that confusing data presentation makes it difficult to identify trends, customer support is reportedly hard to reach, and significant manual effort is required for data accuracy maintenance.
Pricing: Pricing not publicly available.
4. Genuity
Genuity approaches TEM as part of a broader IT administration framework, creating a multi-dimensional view of telecom spending by tracking expenses according to location, service type, and specific features. The platform includes benchmarking capabilities and contract monitoring to prevent unexpected charges.
Key Features of Genuity:
- IT asset management, contract management, and help desk ticketing integration
- Multi-dimensional expense tracking by location and service type
- Benchmarking capabilities against other organizations
- Contract and renewal date monitoring with vendor relationship management
- Marketplace for service procurement (not fully automated RFPs)
- Transparent pricing model designed for SMBs
Advantages: Comprehensive IT administration framework with cost-effective, transparent pricing geared toward small and mid-sized businesses, plus integrated help desk and asset management capabilities. The simplified approach reduces complexity for smaller IT teams while maintaining professional-grade functionality.
Shortcomings: No bill consolidation requiring management of multiple invoices, unreliable single sign-on (SSO) functionality, and significant manual effort required for data accuracy. The platform may lack some advanced features expected by larger enterprise organizations.
Pricing: Starts at $29.99 per month.
5. Brightfin
Brightfin integrates TEM into existing IT service workflows by leveraging the ServiceNow environment to create expense management consistency across an organization’s technology stack. It connects with unified endpoint management systems and provides automated alerts based on usage thresholds.
Key Features of Brightfin:
- Native ServiceNow integration for seamless IT service management
- Unified endpoint management system connectivity
- Automated usage threshold alerts and customizable workflows
- Mobile device data synchronization with carrier invoices
- Proactive account management focused on cost-saving identification
- Bill consolidation with automated invoice processing
Advantages: ServiceNow integration enhances IT service management and workflow automation, while proactive account management focuses on identifying and implementing cost-saving measures. The platform leverages existing ServiceNow user expertise, reducing training requirements for organizations already using the platform.
Shortcomings: Reports often appear outdated as changes take multiple billing cycles to appear, ServiceNow dependency creates cost barriers for non-users, and significant manual effort is required for data maintenance. Organizations without ServiceNow face additional licensing costs and complexity.
Pricing: Pricing not publicly available.
Key Considerations for TEM Selection
When evaluating TEM platforms, several critical factors should influence your decision beyond basic feature comparisons. Integration capabilities are essential—ensure the platform can connect with your existing ERP, accounting, and IT service management systems to avoid data silos and manual processes.
Scalability and user interface complexity vary significantly between solutions. Some platforms excel at handling large enterprise environments but may overwhelm smaller organizations with unnecessary complexity. Conversely, simplified solutions might lack the advanced features required for complex, multi-location deployments.
Implementation requirements differ substantially across vendors. While some platforms offer streamlined onboarding processes, others require extensive data migration and system integration that can take several months to complete. Consider your internal resources and timeline constraints when making your selection.
Pricing models present another crucial consideration. Percentage-of-spend pricing can create conflicting incentives where vendors benefit from higher telecom costs, while service-count or subscription-based models typically align better with cost optimization goals. Evaluate the total cost of ownership including implementation, training, and ongoing support fees.
Choosing the Right TEM Solution
When selecting a telecom expense management platform, consider your organization’s size, existing technology stack, and specific requirements for procurement automation, technical inventory management, and integration capabilities. Evaluate pricing models carefully, as percentage-of-spend pricing can create misaligned incentives, while service-count or flat-fee models may better support your cost optimization goals.