Examples of Systems Software Support Problem-Solving Projects
Project: A Massachusetts School System
Problem: A New England school district faced installation delays because of a service provider's pending strike. Less than two days before the start of the school year, installation of PSTN connectivity was incomplete
- PSTN facilities were installed only to fax machines
- Existing design would not work until PSTN facilities were installled.
Solution: In less than 24 hours, SSS re-engineered the dial plan.
- SSS used analog lines connected to fax machines to enable temporary PSTN access
- After the permanent circuit was installed, SSS implemented the original design
Result: Teachers were able to start the school year with full phone service.
Project: A Mid-Atlantic Home Builder
Problem: Communication challenges facing a major builder included: mobility of sales agents and recurring power outages near sales offices due to construction work.
- Existing systems were a combination of DSL, cable modem, and dial-up
- Phone lines were frequently cut at sales sites, resulting in long outages
- WAN QoS issues led to delays in the IPT pilot project
Solution: SSS quickly resolved the WAN issue. Customers were able to proceed with deployment of a QoS-enabled frame relay network for IP telephony and data, and a Cisco IP phone system.
- Standard technology simplified infrastructure deployment and management
- Agents were able to get calls on-the-move with Cisco CallManager with Extension Mobility
- Fast repairs after outages were the result of 4-hour response SLA from provider
Result: Reduced downtime, high quality and availability of system, improved customer service, and simplified system management.
Project: A Government Agency
Problem: A government agency received numerous complaints about voice quality while their IP voice system was being implemented.
- LAN and WAN teams denied problems on their end
- Voice team avowed correct configuration on their side.
Solution: Network analysis revealed misconfiguration of the underlying network.
- Problem was due to unicast flooding on Catalyst switches
- Because the error affected only voice, not data, the problem was not previously detected.
Result: SSS's recommendations resulted in excellent voice quality, and customer was able to complete their VoIP installation. |