Case Study #2 - Support of Legacy Systems

The Client: The submarine cable division of a major international telecommunications company. They have a large base of installed undersea cables, and are continually developing new products utilising the latest technologies in the rapidly-changing field of fibre optics.

The Challenge: Installed systems must be supported during their contractual lifetime, and good support if an important part of customer relations. The client wished to concentrate on their core business, and did not wish to tie up highly-skilled technical personnel in a dedicated support function. At the same time, they realised that a more ad-hoc arrangement, diverting development engineers to support tasks as and when needed would not give the requisite level of service.

The client therefore sought to outsource the support of their legacy systems. The difficulty lay in the level of expertise required - effective service would require a high level of technical skill, together with comprehensive knowledge of a number of different systems in a highly specialised field.

The Solution: LeoTel Software Systems was able to provide a complete support outsourcing solution, thanks to their pool of engineers with long experience in telecommunications. The service is designed to be:

• Flexible - the client is billed only for work done, within agreed parameters.
• Prompt and efficient - since a number fo engineers are available, it is possible to provide a rapid initial response to all reported issues, and effective follow-up action as required.
• Comprehensive - LeoTel Software Systems are able to cover both hardware and software issues.
• Reliable - LeoTel Software Systems' existing range of test equipment was enhanced by additional specialised equipment supplied by the client. This allowed the support systems to be run at LeoTel Software Systems' premises, giving considerable ability to investigate problems and test solutions.
• Customer-friendly - technicians in the field appreciate the availability of LeoTel Software Systems' engineers to discuss all kinds of technical problems. Often a problem can be resolved by a simple phone call of email exchange.

Appropriate recording and reporting systems were set up, allowing the client to monitor the support activity as and when they wish. This leaves the client free to concentrate on their core functions and overall customer relations, confident that users of their legacy systems are receiving high-quality support.