Wokingham-based General Datacomm Ltd has opened its European Technical Operations and Assistance Centre that can provide network management for any length of time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Companies that use the service stipulate the time periods to be covered. The centre provides 24 hour coverage via a dedicated line from the centre into the nearest suitable customer nodal site. The technicians monitor the network at 30 minute intervals and keep a log of any incidents together with any response. The customer receives a monthly copy of the log. Customers specify thresholds on when action should be taken. If the fault occurs on a public line, the customer can authorise the centre to report the fault to the network operator and then follow it up. Engineers do on-site repairs if the unit is supplied by General Datacomm. Action varies, ranging from fault-finding to identification of faulty units. The centre can take the role of network operator by assisting the field engineer in fault rectification by operating the Network Control System. Defined escalation paths are set for problems that are unresolvable using these routes. The escalation paths divide into diagnostic centre support and UK technical support that offer various solutions to the problem. Response times of two to four hours are in operation for engineers. Customers include Express Newspapers, which has weekend coverage, British Aerospace and Shell, with weekend and non-office hours coverage and Volvo, which has 24 hour coverage, seven days a week. Bill Smith, transmission manager for Express Newspapers, has been using the service for the past two years and said that he feels confident about handing over the network for the allotted weekend time periods. General Datacomm is looking to build up a customer base that will increase the services contribution to company revenue to 40% from 34% last year. General Datacomm has previously concentrated on the design and manufacture of fully-integrated voice and data communication products. The firm is a major supplier of these to British Telecommunications Plc and Mercury Communications Ltd.
