Telecomm Admin Laptop Justification 5

[dfalken]

I was recently hired to manage and administrate all telecomm systems at a company of about 400 Employees. They have a Definity G3si V12, CMS V12 and an Intuity Audix 4.4.

I've been telling them that I need a laptop to more effectively do my job, but they are not buying it and keep saying install VPN software on your home PC. My home PC is 7 years old and it's something I really don't want to connect to the company LAN. IT seems to be little concerned of having home PCs connected to there LAN for some reason and I'm not going to responsible for keeping my home PC virus free when I'm not the only one using it.

I'm racking my brain here trying to come up with reasons. I'm also the only person in this company that knows anything about the Avaya systems so if I go out of town for any reason and they have an issue they would have to wait for me to come back before it could be addressed.

 

[manfmmd]

Tell them:

1. ASA will not run on home PC ;-)
2. You need to have a machine that is on the domain so that you can access documents and other files (assuming the company is using one)
3. Allowing a home PC to connect to the Company LAN without guaranteed Virus/Spyware/Malware/etc. protection could end up being bad for both you and the company.

 

[sjforcum]

If they wish to have you on-call, they need to provide the resources for you to do your job.

Also you may need to connect directly to your phone servers from time to time. Lugging a desktop up to the comms room isn't very practical

 

[mikeydidit]

ASA will connect from your home PC using the INADS port and a dialup connection. You need something to use when those dreaded 1:00 am calls come in during the nightly maintenance routine. This would give you a way to remotely fix "most" problems.

Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something.
Thomas A. Edison

For the best response to a question, read thread690-1323977

 

[manfmmd]

We're trying to "help" him get a laptop Mikey!! ;-)

 

[dfalken]

Thanks for the help so far guys. What are some of the reasons that I would need to directly connect a laptop to Definity, Intuity or CMS?

Thanks,

Dave

 

[qz01gs]

Network goes down and you dont have an external modem from your desk pc to use. You could connect your laptop up the Definity for example.

 

[ripvw32]

Wow! This is a new one, every company I have ever worked for has supplied a laptop... here is why:

1. On call duties: I can fix or trouble shoot from Airports, Starbucks, hell even my favorite bars... try doing that with your home PC

2. Ability to console directly into the Avaya systems, especially if they upgrade to an S8700. The Inads connection will only get you into the active server, not the offline or back end server.

3. Ability to actually "show" what you are talking about in meetings, at EUs desks. Comes in handy when designing call flows, networking, etc...

4. Reliability. No home PC will ever be up to standards. Plan and simple truth. Surfing the web, internet email, shopping, watching videos, etc... to much crap out there for the typical home user to keep up with. That is why MOST companies have a data security team.

5. Sarbanes Auxley!!!! In telecom where the system actually deals with Credit Cards and Financial Records YOUR PC can be taken if they need to prove somthing in court.

Not a good idea to have a personal PC on the corporate network....EVER!

 

[rjblanch]

I agree with ripvw32 - the Sarbanes issue is a major one going through our office at the moment. Having access to company records on a home PC is something we have had to stop due to security and privacy.

The major reason that I pushed to have a laptop recently was the fact that you can connect directly to IPSI's, servers and peripheral devices (AES and Messaging). I dont know if this is applicable to you at the moment, but if they are looking at upgrading the systems, then you will need to have a laptop. The connection to these systems requires setting a static IP to connect into the services port. This really, will not work on a home PC.

 

[dfalken]

Thanks to all who replied, I got the laptop with this memo:

In order to provide the maximum business value to the company and facilitate the highest level of customer support, I would like to submit a technology request for a laptop with modem. I would use this machine in lieu of the desktop I was issued, thus transferring any user licenses issued to me and freeing that desktop to be utilized elsewhere in the company.

We are dedicated to providing our contractors and clients with the highest level of customer service and realize our business success is dependent on the communication systems. In that spirit, I strongly believe in providing the best quality support service to our growing customer service center. I am currently the sole party responsible for maintaining the telecommunications systems. My fear is that should I be away in the event of an emergency, the customer service center could face problems or even downtimes that would have to wait for resolution until I can physically be in the office. Any such event would affect our business flow, our customers and jeopardize our SLA's. The expense of a laptop is a bargain to the company when the time and subsequent cost of training a back up for my role is considered. This laptop will solve these issues by providing me with the ability to triage and resolve issues affecting our customer service center remotely, from home or away from home. It will also lend the advantage of allowing me to put live system enhancements when the office is closed, the most ideal time for the system to be down. The laptop modem would allow for a secondary means of connection should the VPN or connecting network fail.

I have considered using my home computer to solve remote issues. Unfortunately due to its age and condition, my personal machine at home is too inefficient and risky a tool to be used in connection with our corporate LAN. I am not the sole user of that machine and thus cannot promise it to be clean of potential security threats.

In the office, I would use the laptop to perform any necessary software and firmware upgrades to Definity PBX and Audix Voicemail. For example I have noticed that the firmware upgrades to Definity PBX are currently many versions behind. This is the kind of upgrade cannot be performed without a direct serial connection from another computer. This direct connection is established via a serial connection on the back of each piece of equipment. The laptop would contain the needed software and provide the mobility needed to effectively facilitate these types of upgrades to the equipment.

Finally, I believe that this request is an important business need that will provide us with a safety net in meeting the needs of our growing business.

 

[mikeydidit]

It's mainly BS, but it's very, very good BS....



glad you got your laptop.

Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something.
Thomas A. Edison

For the best response to a question, read thread690-1323977

 

[sjforcum]

As Mikey said...Well written BS.

And congrats. Your memo basically reads as "I'm selling my life for a laptop".

One last point...if you're away from home, how can you use your laptop to "dial in" to your systems? If they're really concerned about it, they should get you a Verizon (or other cell carrier) air card....

But hey, I wouldn't push it.

Congrats!

 

[orypecos]

U said that U are the telecom department. That is not a good thing. U should cross train with the IT dept so U can back up each other. It will also make U valuable when they decide that they need to cut the telecom department. Hundreds of telcom depts were dissolved in the last ten years. The duties were taken over by the IT dept.
Let me tell you have the nightmares that will happen when U are on vacation. The systems seem to know U are gone and start to have problems. Start training someone now. Avaya has some great training cd-roms, but they are expensive.
Also make sure that U have backup tapes, flash cards and such offsite, but available 24/7.
The bathroom just above your switchroom has a major leak right now and it is flooding your entire system. But because U have backup materials, Avaya will rush ship you a replacement system and U just slap in the back up media. OK, it is a little more complicated than that.
U need a complete backup of your laptop too for when U leave the laptop at the security screening at the airport. Believe me, they have a bunch of them there, every day.
And if U don't make enough to have a descent computer at home, look for another job.

 

[rick4610]

I am a little fuzzy on understanding how a person would dial in from out of town to his company phone system for maintenance or whatever. sjforcum asked "One last point...if you're away from home, how can you use your laptop to "dial in" to your systems?" Why couldn't he just plug in at the hotel, are we talking a security risk here or are we talking about cost or what? I'm not sure I understand why there would be a problem with this.

Thanks,
Rick

 

[mikeydidit]

On the older systems you can use ASA to dial in through the INADS ports. Then you can make a remote connection. On the newer systems you do pretty much the same thing but you make it a RAS connection. It gives you the same levels of permission that you have at work.

Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something.
Thomas A. Edison

For the best response to a question, read thread690-1323977

 

[sjforcum]

My point is your justification for getting the laptop is because you are their telcom slave.

What happens when you're not at a hotel or at home? What about if you're at the shopping mall? Or on a Train? Or driving somewhere?

If you're going to sell yourself as 24x7, you'll need connectivity. And please don't take this too seriously...I'm just playing devil's advocate....

 

[phoneguy55]

I would say tell your boss, that you don't have a computer at home. If something breaks in the middle of the night. I will fix it at 8 am when I come to work, unless there is traffic, then 9 am...

 

[CBB]

You just get a wireless internet card (Verizon EVDO, Cingular EDGE card, or Sprint) then VPN to you network. After that you can then Telnet or RDP in to any of your systems. They are really fast and pretty cheap now.

 

[sjforcum]

CBB-

That was kind of what my point was. Although if the company was too cheap to provide a laptop, good luck with the evdo request....

 

[Nick44]

Thanks for an interesting thread people. I have a silly question. What kind of company employs an expensive PBX engineer, and then devalues him by not giving him the tools to do the job with? It's like asking a carpenter to work without a saw, or an electrician without a screwdriver. I will never understand corporate thinking!

Speak softly and carry a big switch