Day: 25 April 2003

VoIP Day is over! (or almost)

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Sorry about the military lingo in the post, but it gets difficult coming up with snappy yet topical slogans for the title.

I will be the first to admit I have limited business dealing experience. Today was my first time negotiating on a big business deal. Our Data Center deal was big, but not close to this hardware purchase.

We did it. We signed the contracts. We are now the proud owners of a Cisco Voice Over IP hardware solution running a call center package called Zeacom Smart-connect. It is light years ahead of what we are running now, but it is also sort of a compromise. It is an advancement because we are currently using an old phone switch that is near its capacity. The switch also was never designed as a call center switch. It is a trade off because we are keeping our current software. The users like it, but it has been difficult to manage so far. We are told it is easier when using VOIP.

You would think I am happy. I am, but I can’t relax just yet. We still have voice and data circuits to order and install. Telecom companies have no idea about deadlines. I gave 2 of them deadlines of today and both of them blew them. One lost the deal because of it, the other I am willing to wait till monday.

Now that we bought all this stuff I need to actually have it built. And all sorts of other hardware needs to be purchased. For example we need desktop computers, server and other crap. I need to work on those quotes also. I also need to measure our server room for space, and figure out our cable plans. Tons to do, and about a month to do it in. I really don’t think we can keep this target date, but the boss wants it so I will do all I can to meet it. That translates into no life for about 4-8 weeks. Not that I had a big social life in the past 4-8 weeks.

I am physically and emotionally exhausted from todays activities. Who would have thought sitting and talking in a conference room would be so tiring?

I am on the train going home friday night. I am tired. That means I will stop writing. More over the weekend after I rest some.

VoIP Day

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Do you smell it? A deal is in the air. It is like the smell of the hunt. The vultures, I mean sales people are swarming. The people that don’t think they got the deal are scrambleing to meet and discuss further. The guys that think they got the deal are trying to fatten up their offer. I for one just think this is a necissary evil in the build out process. I actually think Gus enjoy’s dealing with these people sometimes.

Still outstanding is our voice and data lines. Because what is a call center without phone service. We are close to a decision, but don’t have papers in front of us just yet.

On the flip side, dan our director of operations is working on the construction quotes and we hope modifications to the space should start within a week. I personally think that is a pipe dream, but who am I to know or not.

To make things interesting is that today is Cisco Systems end of quarter. Since like 6 out of 7 quotes we are looking at involve Cisco hardware they want to move fast on this.

Now is the hard part of verifying what we were promised is now in writteng before we put ink to paper.

Other problems today will include moving some users around. We have a new guy starting on Monday. To put him in the seat we want, we have to move someone and double that person up with another guy. our office has nice large cubes. Good for individuals, and it works if you put 2 people in them without allot of stuff. We did it in 3 other cubes and it works. Everyone is not happy about it, but they get by. Well, we need to do that again today. The guy getting doubled up will probibly not be very happy. It is short term, until our call center starts growning in the new facility, but still 3 months can be a while for some.