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Reserve Your Seat TodayCost-effective regional NOC serving Montana telecoms with T/Mon
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Company Type | Joint venture of five Montana telecoms |
| Geography/Coverage | Statewide Montana network |
| Primary Challenge | Small co-ops needed 24-hour monitoring under their control |
| Solution Deployed | Regional NOC with T/Mon remote access capabilities |
| Key Result | 24-hour monitoring with detailed alarm visibility |
| Products Used | T/Mon Remote Alarm Monitoring System, NetGuardian RTUs |
Vision Net, a joint venture of five independent Montana telecommunications companies, provides advanced network services throughout the state. The company serves rural telephone cooperatives that face common infrastructure challenges across Montana's expansive geography.
Vision Net's member companies and other small Montana telecoms needed 24-hour monitoring but couldn't justify the expense of individual network operations centers. Running a dedicated NOC with round-the-clock staffing was cost-prohibitive for rural cooperatives. Their outsourced monitoring solution created serious operational problems.
The previous service struggled with:
"Our monitoring service missed alarms very often. It was inexpensive, but you get what you pay for."
Gary Evans, Network Engineer, Vision Net
Evans and his team brought monitoring in-house with T/Mon. This gave Vision Net better visibility and control. The system's remote access capabilities let them offer monitoring services to other Montana telephone cooperatives.
Vision Net's NOC connects to client T/Mon systems via remote access over the statewide data network. Each client owns their monitoring infrastructure while Vision Net provides the 24-hour NOC staffing and expertise.
T/Mon gave Vision Net the tools to monitor diverse equipment from multiple companies. The system delivered detailed, actionable alarm data to dispatchers. This transformed their ability to serve Montana telecoms with cost-effective monitoring.
| Metric | Impact |
|---|---|
| Multi-Vendor Integration | Older Dantel equipment to modern SNMP protocols supported |
| Detailed Alarm Information | Informed dispatch decisions reduce unnecessary callouts |
| Client-Specific Customization | Individual rule sets for each company's requirements |
| Scalable Service Model | Multiple Montana telecoms added to monitoring service |
"One of the best things about T/Mon is the ability to customize each company's alarm inputs. Every company wants their own rule set."
Gary Evans, Network Engineer, Vision Net
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Reduced Labor Costs | Detailed alarm information prevents unnecessary after-hours technician callouts |
| Equipment Flexibility | Wide protocol support integrates diverse legacy and modern equipment |
| Customized Monitoring | Individual alarm rules tailored to each client company's needs |
| Scalable Architecture | NOC capacity expands to serve additional Montana telecoms |
T/Mon Remote Alarm Monitoring System
Multiprotocol alarm manager with remote access and custom filtering
Remote units monitoring critical equipment, reporting to T/Mon systems
How do small telecoms afford 24-hour network monitoring?
Regional NOC services let multiple companies share monitoring costs. Each company keeps control of their own alarm systems. They own their T/Mon system. The NOC accesses it remotely to provide after-hours coverage. This costs far less than staffing individual NOCs.
What makes alarm detail important for dispatch decisions?
Without detailed alarm information, dispatchers can't tell critical issues from nuisance alarms. This leads to missed problems or unnecessary after-hours callouts. Detailed alarms help dispatchers decide whether to send technicians. They also show what to expect when they arrive.
Can monitoring systems integrate equipment from multiple vendors?
Modern multiprotocol systems like T/Mon support various communication protocols including SNMP, Modbus, DNP3, TL1, and ASCII. This allows a single monitoring platform to collect alarms from diverse equipment regardless of age or manufacturer, eliminating the need to maintain separate monitoring systems.
How do you customize alarm rules for different clients?
T/Mon allows you to create unique rule sets for each client. You can configure specific actions based on alarm type, duration, and severity. For example, one client might want immediate notification for critical alarms, while another prefers a 20-minute delay to filter out brief fluctuations.
What equipment can small telecoms monitor with NetGuardians?
NetGuardians monitor network infrastructure including power systems, environmental conditions, and communications equipment. Small telecoms with limited budgets can deploy NetGuardian RTUs at their sites and have them report directly to a regional NOC's T/Mon system for round-the-clock monitoring.
Vision Net shows how the right monitoring system makes regional services cost-effective. We can help you design a solution that fits your requirements.
Or call us: 1-800-693-0351
