Comments on: “Oh ISDN, You Left Me Just When I Needed You Most” http://www.billpryce.com/blog/2009/07/25/oh-isdn-you-left-me-just-when-i-needed-you-most/ Life in the world of voice over Sun, 22 Aug 2010 02:53:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Gregory Houser http://www.billpryce.com/blog/2009/07/25/oh-isdn-you-left-me-just-when-i-needed-you-most/comment-page-1/#comment-75 Gregory Houser Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:42:29 +0000 http://www.billpryce.com/blog/?p=118#comment-75 Bill, I'm with you on regular maintenance and check-ups when it comes to your equipment, but I'm an even bigger fan of having a COOP (Continuity of Operations Plan) for my studio. This is a little something I want to write about in a few days or so, but basically it's a guideline that identifies the most critical failures you can have happen to your business, identifies the worst of the lot, and then identifies some Risk Management activities you can perform in order to lessen the potential loss and minimize the "loss exposure" to your business. For me, my ISDN COOP plan is simple: 1) I have ties with several ISDN studios in the area (which cover three geographical zones within my regional ISDN grid, not to mention different carriers), 2) I have alternate technologies which can bridge me to ISDN, 3) Contact info for the local ISDN guru that my carrier uses, an SLA with my local carrier which provides a guarantee of service within 12 hours (or I get $ back). I don't consider this to be #4, but having a corporate card for the business so that I can have an ISDN codec shipped overnight is what I consider to be my last resort if the equipment failure is on my end. Cheers! -Greg Bill,

I’m with you on regular maintenance and check-ups when it comes to your equipment, but I’m an even bigger fan of having a COOP (Continuity of Operations Plan) for my studio. This is a little something I want to write about in a few days or so, but basically it’s a guideline that identifies the most critical failures you can have happen to your business, identifies the worst of the lot, and then identifies some Risk Management activities you can perform in order to lessen the potential loss and minimize the “loss exposure” to your business.

For me, my ISDN COOP plan is simple: 1) I have ties with several ISDN studios in the area (which cover three geographical zones within my regional ISDN grid, not to mention different carriers), 2) I have alternate technologies which can bridge me to ISDN, 3) Contact info for the local ISDN guru that my carrier uses, an SLA with my local carrier which provides a guarantee of service within 12 hours (or I get $ back).

I don’t consider this to be #4, but having a corporate card for the business so that I can have an ISDN codec shipped overnight is what I consider to be my last resort if the equipment failure is on my end.

Cheers!

-Greg

]]> By: Bill http://www.billpryce.com/blog/2009/07/25/oh-isdn-you-left-me-just-when-i-needed-you-most/comment-page-1/#comment-54 Bill Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:33:37 +0000 http://www.billpryce.com/blog/?p=118#comment-54 Regularly scheduling an ISDN check is good advice Mike. Something like the appointment calendar in MS Outlook could pester one into it. <a href="http://www.courvo.biz/" rel="nofollow">Dave Courvoisier</a> has a great blog. Regularly scheduling an ISDN check is good advice Mike. Something like the appointment calendar in MS Outlook could pester one into it.

Dave Courvoisier has a great blog.

]]> By: Mike Cooper http://www.billpryce.com/blog/2009/07/25/oh-isdn-you-left-me-just-when-i-needed-you-most/comment-page-1/#comment-53 Mike Cooper Sat, 01 Aug 2009 10:09:31 +0000 http://www.billpryce.com/blog/?p=118#comment-53 Good tip, Bill! Here in the UK, BT has a "loopback" number which I have set on a speed dial on AudioTX. If I have an ISDN session booked I always crank it up ahead of the session to check that everything's as it should be (the little green light doesn't give me enough confidence!) That at least gives me time to offer a VOIP or record-and-forward session via Skype without looking unprofessional to the client. But you're right - ISDN jobs can be few and far between, and "Check ISDN" has just gone into my GTD setup as a regular Wednesday occurrence - most of my ISDN jobs are for radio stations trying to get ads on air for the weekend, and they happen on Thursdays and Fridays more often than not. This way I at least get 24 hours' notice if it's down and I need to call the repair man :o) I found you via CourVO, by the way - my own blog is at www.GobsOnSticks.com. Mike Good tip, Bill!

Here in the UK, BT has a “loopback” number which I have set on a speed dial on AudioTX. If I have an ISDN session booked I always crank it up ahead of the session to check that everything’s as it should be (the little green light doesn’t give me enough confidence!) That at least gives me time to offer a VOIP or record-and-forward session via Skype without looking unprofessional to the client.

But you’re right – ISDN jobs can be few and far between, and “Check ISDN” has just gone into my GTD setup as a regular Wednesday occurrence – most of my ISDN jobs are for radio stations trying to get ads on air for the weekend, and they happen on Thursdays and Fridays more often than not. This way I at least get 24 hours’ notice if it’s down and I need to call the repair man :o )

I found you via CourVO, by the way – my own blog is at http://www.GobsOnSticks.com.

Mike

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