Suppliers lend a hand

Suppliers lend a hand

Technology vendors are helping MSOs spread the "T" word throughout their organizations.

By LARRY RICHARDS

Some people just can`t escape technology, no matter how hard they try. If you work in the broadband communications industry, you probably won`t be able to dodge the "T" word much longer.

If you`re employed by a broadband operator these days, whether you`re a skilled technician or an accomplished customer service representative, your job requires a basic understanding of broadband networking technology. After all, the broadband network is the nervous system of your business. If it breaks down, the many services you provide your customers are in jeopardy...and so is your bottom line.

Every department of your organization needs to have a grasp of broadband technology at some level, and this knowledge is becoming more and more critical as broadband cable networks continue to deploy new interactive services like lifeline telephony, high-speed Internet access, and video-on-demand. In this brave new interactive world, the role of training has become much more integral to the success of multiple-system operators (MSOs) as more new services are being deployed than ever before, with advanced technologies that evolve and advance by the week.

Humble beginnings

In the early 1980s, many cable operators did not see the value of formal training. New service technicians would accompany seasoned staffers on truck rolls until they eventually gained a modest set of diagnostic and repair skills. What they weren`t taught, they learned on their own through trial and error. No two technicians received the same training and very few understood the theories behind the wide range of maintenance and repair services they were providing.

Soon, formal training became institutionalized within the MSO corporate culture, and employees participated in classroom and hands-on educational courses that provided them with the technical aptitude required to perform their jobs.

Organizations like the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) held various training seminars and technology vendors such as Philips Broadband Networks held courses like the Philips Mobile Training program, a three-day course featuring a simulated cable-television network. The program, housed in a tractor trailer that travels to the doorsteps of cable operators across the United States, provides students of all experience levels with essential technical information on contemporary broadband networks, giving hands-on technical training without the threat of disrupting service.

Vendor involvement the key

Today, the role of training is becoming more challenging than ever. With each network operator adopting new technologies and new services at varying degrees, modern training programs need to be customized and they need to be portable at a moment`s notice.

The best way for cable operators to accomplish effective technology training these days is to partner with their technology and equipment suppliers. This way, vendors can provide coursework developed by instructional designers with technical content provided by industry experts. Working directly with an MSO trainer, vendors will better understand trainers` needs and help them develop programs tailored for a system`s specific technical requirements. In these cases, licensing agreements between the vendor and operator will help facilitate a mutually beneficial relationship, resulting in standardized training with consistent content that allows more class time and reduces program overhead to the MSO.

Let`s say a particular system just upgraded its 550-MHz plant into a two-way, 750-MHz network that will soon integrate cable telephony and high-speed data services. The vendor would essentially "train the trainer," providing the MSO training staff with a program that can be customized by a trainer to address new fiber-optic equipment and architectures, return-path issues and setup procedures, and relevant telephony and data tips. The vendor would also provide essential learning tools like electronic-presentation slides with corresponding speaker`s notes, visual displays, handouts, and equipment for hands-on demonstrations.

With a licensing agreement, vendor-produced training programs can be used for sister systems of a particular MSO, so employees receive consistent training from system to system.

In this age of constantly evolving technology, the best way to train your workforce is to partner with your technology suppliers, and let them help you spread the "T-word" throughout the ranks. With the help of a customizable training program, chances are the people on your staff who are allergic to technology will begin to accept it.

Who knows? In time, maybe they`ll actually get excited about it. q

Larry Richards is director of the Broadband System Center, Americas, Philips Broadband Networks (Atlanta, GA).