Storage diagnosis on the move
Storage diagnosis on the move
Data storage and solutions company StorageTek has enlisted the help of Telstra to provide its enterprise storage customers with improved service delivery.
The help has come in the shape of 45 BlackBerry wireless handheld devices deployed to StorageTek's field engineers, enabling constant real-time communications and ensuring customer service delivery above and beyond levels specified in existing service agreements.
StorageTek's field engineers are based in all major Australian state capitals and the ACT and are responsible for the installation and maintenance of equipment. The field engineers play a key role in the delivery of StorageTek's enterprise support services and professional services - helping organisations assess, design, implement and manage their IT and storage infrastructure.
The deployment followed a successful field service trial, which was initiated after a number of alternatives were considered before being rejected, as Drew Lourey, resource centre manager for StorageTek Australia / New Zealand explained.
"Superior customer service was the principal objective. We previously supplied field engineers with pagers, but these were limited to short messages, did not support data capture, and provided one-way communications only. We had also been investigating alternative wireless devices, including two-way pagers and wireless PDAs. We have been looking for a robust solution for some time."
With pagers, StorageTek Resource Centre staff were unable to send field engineers all the information required to efficiently meet customer service requests. The results of analysis performed by StorageTek's support group on customers' remotely monitored equipment couldn't fit into 160 characters. It had to be relayed to engineers by mobile telephone, disrupting resource centre staff, who had to double handle the information. It was also not completely reliable.
With the BlackBerry handhelds from Telstra, however, the complete results of StorageTek's analysis can be sent to field engineers, along with other details of service calls. With two-way communications, resource centre staff can see whether the message has been delivered, and field engineers can immediately acknowledge acceptance of jobs.
Other productivity benefits include immediate access to StorageTek's database of fault symptom codes and constant access to email. With better information, two-way communications and improved productivity, field engineers will have more time and resources to meet customer service requests in a single visit.
"StorageTek's Wireless Service Solution is a terrific example of the way companies are using Blackberry in innovative ways to improve business productivity," said Mark Geddes, Telstra's national manager, data sales. "StorageTek have taken their BlackBerry handhelds way beyond wireless email and personal productivity with a solution that directly benefits their customers and their business."
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