Procomm Vs OTM? 1

[motox2]

Hi everyone, i am doing a little research on OTM here and wondered if OTM is as good or better than Procomm? I have used Procomm in the past and like the fact that it can run scripts making tasks a lot easier, unlike OTM can do, at least as far as i know. Thanks for the input!!

 

[steve64]

I have used both but prefer Procomm. Maybe it's because theat's what I got started with and am more profecient with it, although most of the Techs I work with don't care to use OTM/TM either. Maybe it's just a tech thing.

 

[tnphoneman]

If you are used to using the command line interface you will hate to use OTM/TM. Things can be difficult to find and there are some things that just don't work very well.

With that said I have used TM to do major changes to alot of phones at one time. For day to day use I would stay with Procomm.

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[pbxn]

I use Procom on a daily basis, and "try" to keep my TM updated at the end of the week. Its more a matter of preference and what you learned on. Alot of use here learned programing via command line, and I'm sure like me can whip out a bunch of changes quicker using command line than OTM/TM
Our TM is more for reports and ITG access nothing more.

 

[GHTROUT]

The way I look at it...Comparing Procomm to OTM is like comparing a box of pipe fittings to a Plumber.

The pipe fittings (Procomm) contain the solutions to all the problems, but you will need to know how to fit them all together.

The Plumber (OTM) is equipped to do a varity of tasks right out of the box.

Procomm is a terminal emulation program... OTM is a Nortel administration tool.

My prefrence: The box of pipe fittings (Procomm), because I know plumbing (Nortel administration) already.

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[johnpoole]

i've never met a decent tech that likes otm.. to slow, to fat. the biggest problem is if you use otm (tm) you spend all your time learning the otm software.. then when that breaks (and it will), your stuck until you get a command line tech on site... once you learn tm software, nortel will end of life it and come out with a new and improved version.. so you can learn it again and help nortel work out all the bugs..

no one on this site, that i have seen post, depends on otm..scripts are faster, and more flexable

john poole
bellsouth business
columbia,sc

 

[GHTROUT]

Plumbers. To slow, too fat, like John says

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[hawks]

We use OTM/TM mainly for CDR Reporting, I've had it for about 6 or 7 years now and probably only have about 150 hrs of actual programming using it. shoot I think most of that was the install itself. I have to agree with the rest I use Procomm.

 

[1Rita1]

I use TM/OTM for installations of new switches, upgrades and DN conversions. Yes, it takes time to prepare TM before actually sending the stations but once they are in there TM does all the entry. This reduces the amount of actual entry I have to do and I can let it run all night when doing big 3000+ station installations.
For the mass changes I can program those to run at night as to avoid dropped calls during business hours.
I have done DN conversions that require outing the existing stations and reprogramming from scratch with new DNs all done after hours or on a weekend. TM works well in those situtations but I agree, for everyday programming I would use Procomm.

 

[Tigernach]

Only use OTM when you have no choice. There are things you can't do with Procomm. Other than that, I use Procomm all day long.

 

[jamie2]

Procomm

OTM

 

[steve64]

CDR reports are also a pain in OTM/TM. I run CDR reports for my customer once a week from a file capture, pull it into MS Access and I'm done in less than 5 min and it works first time everytime and this is with thousands of CDR records. Access also splits it out by department. Granted the Access took some time to set up but that was a one time thing.

 

[johnpoole]

I use TM/OTM for installations of new switches

for new switch installs i perfer scripts, they are way faster.. best thing is when they have a pbx.. download the old switch (rolm, simmons etc) then use macros and scripts to send the same data back to the nt..

when i did a lot of installs i could convert rolm to nt database, 500 station switch in under a day... and that's including routes, bars and stations..

because i used scripts 10 years prior to seeing otm rls 1, i may never learn all that otm can do..

john poole
bellsouth business
columbia,sc

 

[steve64]

Looks like everyone agrees OTM/TM kind of a waste of money. I have customers that don't even like using it. They say the command line is easier for them when changing names, etc. on a set and usually that's all they do with it. Anything more than that and they want the vendor's tech to come take care of it. Tigernach says only use it when you have no choice because Procomm can't do it. So far I heven't found anything.

 

[acewarlock]

I only used OTM as a backup to the switch. once a month I would delete everything in OTM and then sync it with the PBX in case I need to restore the switch.




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[broncos1112]

I completely agree with John Pooles assessment of OTM/TM. Procomm is much easier to deal with.

 

[NastyNed2]

I have OTM installed, have never used it, my predecessor didn't even tell me about it during our turnover period, so he probably never used it, and it's woefully out of date because I learned during my CallPilot install that it's not even configured to poll all our switches on a regular basis.

Based on all your comments, sounds like I should abandon it and quit paying the maintenance contract on it. Sounds like it's not even worth forcing the vendor to bring it up to snuff.

I chuckled at the plumber analogy!!

 

[hawks]

I think you have to have OTM to be supported by Nortel with the newer systems. May not have to use it but you have to have it. Can someone confirm..

 

[tnphoneman]

No you do not have to have it.

Signature===========================================
Artificial Intelligence Is No Match for Natural Stupidity.

The latest survey shows that 3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the population.

The original point and click interface was a Smith & Wesson.

Red meat is not bad for you, it is the green fuzzy meat that is bad.

 

[hawks]

Thanks TN