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Posts Tagged ‘reducing service-related costs’
Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
Are fuel costs busting your budget? At the pump, the national average price of unleaded gasoline rose to $3.962 per gallon from Tuesday’s $3.951, AAA said. If you are responsible for remote site equipment maintenance, consider a remote site power control switch.
THE POWER STONE saves time, labor, and fuel costs. When trouble arrives and critical equipment locks up at a remote site hours away, a quick fix is impossible. With The POWER STONE, one phone call can reboot equipment, reduce downtime, and save money. The Power Stone installs easily onto remote site equipment and allows you to reboot, toggle power,check current power status and past power outages. And, it’s as simple to use as a telephone.
Read The Power Stone Data Sheet.
Tags: cost cutting, IP Power Stone 3000, IP3000, linkedin, Multi-Link, power stone, preventing unplanned service dispatches, reducing service-related costs, remote power cycling, remote site modems, service visit, truck rolls
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Friday, January 14th, 2011
Multi-Link is rolling out its latest version of The Power Stone, the popular phone activated remote AC power controller.
Basic functions of automatic and manual power reboot, power on call, and on/off toggling remain the same as the previous version. Changes have been made to default settings relating to rings-to trip, and the number of rings at which Power Stone will perform an AUTOMATIC OPERATION. The changes were made to accommodate the request of many users who were primarily using cell phones to control power to remote sites.
The new settings will apply only to Power Stone units with serial numbers starting at #27819 and greater. Refer to The Power Stone manual v.8 below:
All serial #’s below 27819 will continue to reference the original Power Stone manual. Refer to The Power Stone manual v.1 below:
Power Stone Manual v.1
Call us at 800-535-4651 for more details!
Tags: linkedin, Multi-Link, preventing unplanned service dispatches, reducing service-related costs, Remote Monitoring Solutions, remote power cycling, remote reboot, the power stone, truck rolls
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Wednesday, October 20th, 2010
Containing costs is the number one issue facing state and local governments today. Revenues are decreasing while demands for service are increasing.
Telecommunication costs are a significant budget item for many agencies. With the need to support hundreds of fax machines and remote data collection devices, each with its own phone line, costs can quickly add up. With each additional phone line costing around $50 per month, or $600 per year, this can dramatically affect the cost to operate remote equipment.
In today’s economic environment successful government operations will require innovative solutions to maintain their levels of service to the public. Reducing telecommunication costs and making efficient use of resources are key elements stretching budget dollars.
Installing The Stick®, a phone line sharing device, wherever multiple phone lines are required can reduce expenses by thousands of dollars. Many times each location is able to reduce the requirement for two or more phone lines, saving $100-$150 per month, or more.
To find out how much money you can save, download the Multi-Link Cost Savings Calculator.
Tags: cost cutting, line sharing, linkedin, Multi-Link, reducing service-related costs, the stick
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Friday, October 15th, 2010
Multi-Link devices have been an integral part of substation communications for over 15 years. Thousands of our devices are used by over 100 electric and gas utility companies to provide reliable communications with meters, power quality monitors, and relays.
With greater demand for connectivity to existing and new data reporting devices, more access points are required, which means more strain on budgets. With this unprecedented growth comes the ever increasing need to remotely access the control interfaces of the equipment. Engineers and technicians must be able to access their interfaces from remote operations centers or while on the road in order to assure maximum service availability.
Many utility companies are opting for the POTS line to provide a low cost and reliable means of data acquisition. However, by using the Polnet ACP, one POTS line can provide access to as many as nine devices making the ACP-9 an average cost of $60 per connection.
To find out how much money you can save, download the Multi-Link cost-savings calculator at www.multi-link.net/Phone-Line-Sharing-Calculator.
Tags: cost cutting, Cost Savings Calculator, line sharing, linkedin, Multi-Link, out-of-band access, Polnet ACP, reducing service-related costs, substation communications, substations, utilities
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Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
The majority of Multi-Link’s phone/data line-sharing devices are being installed for out-of-band dial-up modem access to communication and data networks.
When the network is down and normal in-band access is denied, how do you recover the network equipment? Out-of-band remote access to serial console ports provides an efficient back door method for recovery. This can be through the use of a backup dial-up modem via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).
Serial console ports are the most reliable and dependable form of communication for equipment management. That is why most high value networking devices have one. Whether it’s a router, switch, firewall, PBX, network storage device, etc, no matter what is happening with the device, the serial auxiliary or console port is always up and running. It is a trusted way to find out what is going on and the quickest way to recovery.
Polnet ACP Phone/Data Line Sharing Switch
The ACP saves money for IT departments by eliminating costly phone lines dedicated for out-of-band dial up access to remote network equipment. Fixed telecom costs are dramatically reduced and a 3 month R.O.I. is typical. In addition to savings, the ACP is engineered to provide an additional layer of security to connected devices. Vulnerable pathways to equipment via the PSTN are protected by programmable Security Access Codes up to seven characters. There are over 35 million combinations to choose from, effectively creating a telephony firewall for dial-up connections.
Furthermore, our Remote Power Control products, The Power Stone and the IP Power Stone 3000, are invaluable tools for rebooting unresponsive equipment in remote areas. The Power Stone is a phone call activated AC power controller used to reboot and power up/down remote equipment. The IP Power Stone 3000 provides the ability to reboot locked-up equipment via web browser.
Either of these remote reboot products makes a perfect complement to the Polnet ACP, providing inexpensive, secure control of remote network equipment.
ACP deployed for remote out-of-band access
Tags: console port access, cost cutting, dial-up modem firewall, dial-up modems, faxswitch, lights-out-management, line sharing, linkedin, LOM, managed network services, monitor remote assets, Multi-Link, out-of-band access, out-of-band network management, reducing service-related costs, Remote Monitoring Solutions, remote reboot, secure remote service port access, telephone switch, telephony firewall
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Thursday, July 8th, 2010
With summer driving season upon us, the upward price of fuel is as predictable as ants at a picnic. For companies that have fleets of service vehicles this is always a concern. Management has the unenviable task of keeping the fuel budget in check during upward seasonal fluctuations while maintaining a consistent level of customer service. The scheduled “milk-run” truck rolls to remote customer sites are unavoidable, but there is a smarter way to deal with those unscheduled service dispatches that eat away at fuel budgets and erode profits.
It is not cost effective or desirable to require physical visits to remotely located routers, switches or other network devices for troubleshooting or maintenance. Costs are prohibitive, both in time and personnel, for a skilled technician to be dispatched to the remote site for administration and maintenance of every remotely located router, switch or other network device. Time and cost constraints necessitate that network devices be managed remotely.
Keeping vehicles tuned up and conservative driving practices are well and good, but best-in-class service and maintenance businesses are more likely to keep the truck in park than their competitors. These organizations consistently employ remote site management tools to diagnose and fix problematic equipment instead of rolling a truck to a site. A remote AC power controller allows maintenance technicians to reboot, cut or re-establish power to devices located in a remote location, all over a standard telephone phone line or an internet connection. Field technicians can control power to equipment from their cell phones, avoiding the cost and time to drive to remote sites.
Nine out of ten service dispatches involve rebooting (power fail) equipment as a first try fix. With a remote power control switch and a telephone, the three hour round trip at midnight can be avoided. And a tank of gas was just saved.
Multi-Link has helped many IT Departments, Managed Network Services and ISP’s save fuel, time, and labor costs with our remote power controllers. Call us and see if we can help you reduce fuel costs with your phone. 800-535-4651
Tags: cost cutting, IP3000, linkedin, monitor remote assets, Multi-Link, preventing unplanned service dispatches, reducing service-related costs, remote power cycling, remote reboot, service dispatches, service visit, the power stone, truck rolls
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Friday, June 25th, 2010
It’s mid-2010 and businesses across all industries are confronted with a new reality: shrinking budgets, personnel cuts, reduced revenue, and rising operational costs.
For companies challenged with maintaining remote site assets (network, telecom, mechanical), the pain is even more acute. Dispatching service workers on-site frequently puts maintenance staff out of contact for hours at a time, frequently at expensive overtime labor rates. The average cost per service dispatch was $276 in 2009.
To answer this challenge, companies across the world are employing remote management tools that monitor, alert, and troubleshoot automatically. Here are the Top 5 Benefits of Remote Site Management Tools:
1) Reduced Downtime: Minutes vs. Hours. Some tools can detect failure and execute reboot/fix autonomously, without engaging support from personnel.
2) Reduced Site Visits, or Truck Rolls: Driving to the remote site is the biggest time waster. Paying $276 for an engineer just to reboot a router is a crime. And then there’s the fuel cost.
3) Increased Customer Satisfaction: Faster service, improved asset uptime, and better asset performance all contribute to SLA covenant compliance. And that makes for a happy customer.
4) Prepares Support Personnel for On-site Visits: In case remote resolution was not achievable, remote management tools can at least provide diagnostic data to the support crew, ensuring that the right hardware and tools are brought to the site for a successful first time fix.
5) Immediate R.O.I: Remote site management tools can pay for themselves by eliminating the time, labor, and fuel costs for just one site visit.
For information on Multi-Link’s remote site management solutions, call 800-535-4651.
Tags: console port access, lights-out-management, linkedin, LOM, monitor remote assets, preventing unplanned service dispatches, reducing service-related costs, Remote Monitoring Solutions, remote reboot, telephone switch, the power stone, truck rolls
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Monday, June 21st, 2010
New restaurant industry applications are always of interest to Multi-Link because of our long-standing, personal relationships with members the restaurant community. Recently we discovered a new cost-cutting system for frying oil management from Restaurant Technologies, Inc. (RTI) that deserves mention. RTI has developed MaxLife™ Total Oil Management System that is being employed by many restaurant businesses and current Multi-Link customers.
MaxLife is an automated solution for storing, handling, and disposal of cooking oil. RTI touts reduced oil consumption and labor costs, enhanced safety, and compatibility with existing fryers. One convenient feature is “telemetry-managed fresh oil deliveries and waste oil pick-ups” which is monitored through dial-up modem installed on-site.
Current Multi-Link customers that have our line-sharing switches (The Stick, ACP) installed are able to immediately benefit from this remote fryer oil monitoring without the hassle of ordering a dedicated phone line from the telephone company. The on-site modem is simply plugged into an available device port. More importantly, no additional monthly costs for a dedicated phone line are incurred. It is a perfect match of cost-cutting products.
Click here for a demo of MaxLife™ and feel free to send along anymore applications like this for review to marketing@multi-link.net . We love to save money for our customers!
Tags: cost cutting, dial-up modems, fry oil monitoring, line sharing, linkedin, monitor remote assets, reducing service-related costs, remote site modems, restaurant applications, the stick
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Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
A new article on remote monitoring by Field Technologies Online entitled “The Impact Of Remote Monitoring On Field Service” reviewed the same research from the Aberdeen Group that we blogged about in February. It is a good read and offers views on the evolution of remote monitoring.
Some take-aways:
Remote monitoring makes field workers better prepared for on-site visits.
Remote monitoring results in 22% increase in first time fixes.
Remote monitoring increases revenue, cuts fuel and labor costs, and stops unproductive truck-rolls.
The vertical markets with the fastest adoption rates are facility management, transportation, and medical equipment.
Tags: lights-out-management, linkedin, LOM, monitor remote assets, preventing unplanned service dispatches, reducing service-related costs, remote power cycling, remote reboot, remote site modems, secure remote service port access, service dispatches, service visit, truck rolls
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Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
As if the high cost of fuel weren’t enough…
In the 2009 Remote Product Service research project by The Aberdeen Group, the average cost per service dispatch was $276 in 2009. This represents a a 32% increase from 2006.
Not surprisingly 50% of the research respondents, comprised of service and manufacturing professionals, were concerned with reducing service-related costs and preventing unplanned service dispatches. Customer satisfaction, however, does not take a backseat. Adding to cost concerns, companies are facing increased customer pressure to provide faster service, improved asset uptime, and better asset performance.
The top two objectives for cost management were 1) Improving diagnosis for better first time fixes; and 2) Reduce instances of unplanned service visits.
Excerpt: “While the cost of fuel has retreated from highs seen in 2008, cost containment associated with unnecessary dispatches is a key pressure for service and manufacturing firms. In fact, responding firms indicate that nearly 29% of all dispatches and truck rolls are for issues that could have either been resolved remotely or through other means negating the need for dispatch.”
It is one thing to monitor remote assets, but if you can’t make a fix chances are you are among that 29% group. If you are rolling a truck to a site just to perform a power fail to reset equipment, there is a better way. The Power Stone has saved the day for countless service technicians who would have otherwise have to headed out to a site just to try a hard reboot on unresponsive equipment.
The Power Stone remote power controller can diagnose, reboot, or simply turn power off or on when needed—all by phone. The IP 3000 extends this capability with TCP/IP connectivity as well as by phone. Considerably less than the cost of a one time truck roll, these two units can complement any and all remote monitoring systems and provide quicker response times and reduce service dispatches.
Learn more about specific applications here: http://multi-link.biz/applications
Let us know how often you have to reboot remote site equipment:
Cast your Vote!: http://bit.ly/aSZz4s
Tags: console port access, IP3000, lights-out-management, linkedin, LOM, managed network services, monitor remote assets, power stone, preventing unplanned service dispatches, reducing service-related costs, Remote Monitoring Solutions, remote reboot, service dispatches, service visit, truck rolls
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