Message-Version: 2
>To: MEDLIB-L@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu
Ua-Content-Id: <PMX-PC-2.0-004659-ohsu3b2-johnsonm-28011>
Email-Version: 2
Phone: (503) 725-5049
Ua-Message-Id: <ATT-2.1.1A-johnsonm-000000real-162>
Content-Type: text
Content-Length: 3832
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.medlib-l
Date:         Fri, 14 Aug 1992 09:58:00 -0400
From:         Millard Johnson <johnsonm@OHSU.EDU>
Subject:      800 SERVICE
X-To:         MEDLIB-L@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu

I wrote the following yesterday for the first person who inquired, but I
must have copied the address incorrectly before I sent it.  Since a second
person asked, perhaps others are interested:
_________
You asked about in-watts telephone
service.

When I was at the OHSU (Oregon) we operated a state-wide dial in service to a
MEDLINE subset.  The computer was not CD-Plus but I don't think that makes a
great difference.  Following are my observations.
.  People have high expectations, they do not tolerate busy signals very well.
 It is not difficult to overcome this problem.  You can get several telephone
lines and your local phone company will give you "roll over" option so you
only have to publish one phone number.  When that is busy, next caller will
roll over to the next available line.  This will go on until all of your ports
and all of your phone lines are busy.  For Oregon 6 lines were all we needed.
There will be a fairly small monthly charge for each line but your long
distance charges are based on the minutes on-line.  I do not think it is a
good idea to ration service with busy signals.  If you have to keep costs
down, a better approach is to sell pass words.  The point is -- if you have to
exclude someone it is not very classy to use bad service as a way to do it.
.  I don't know CD-plus very well, but some systems get the user on and off
fairly quickly and other systems can make the user spend a lot of time.  In
this environment time REALLY is money.
.  Don't skimp on modems.  You can spend under $100 for a modem.  Don't do it.
 Our biggest problems were cheap modems.  When any part of your system is down
you will hear about it RIGHT NOW.  You don't want to be called up in the night
to go in and press the reset button on a modem.  Get good stuff.
.  It is important that your local users use a local number to get in.  If
they don't know the local number or if the local number is busy, they will use
the 800 number and your costs will go up.  (Your phone company may do this
differently.  It may be no problem for you.)
.  Start thinking of yourself as BRS or some other utility.  Your clients need
customer support.  Sign them up.  Make sure they understand what they are
getting and be sure they have classy promotional literature and be sure they
understand what they can expect from your help desk.  What kinds and how much
support you will give and under what conditions they are on their own.
.  Your biggest problem will be with the clients modems and telecommunications
software.  There are lots of people out there with APPLE II and Commodor
computers with 300 baud modems.  They will have every odd ball
telecommunications software in the world.  I suggest that you get the
Shareware procomm and have lots of copies configured for your installation
including the dial and log on all set up.  Only support that and sometning
like it for the MAC.  Tell the user to try it and if he likes it to pay for
the documentation.
.  If this is for on-campus use (sorry I don't remember if you were from a
medical school) there will be a surprisingly big effect on the campus phone
system.  Lots of people will be ordering second phones so they can get phone
calls while they are doing MEDLINES.  You might want to talk to the campus
telecommunications manager.
.  Be sure to get some automatic timeout and logoff feature on your system.
Otherwise some people will "hang your ports".  They will login in the morning
and stay on all day, or forget and go out leaving a port connected.  This has
to be all the way out.  You want to disconnect everything, the port on the
computer, hang up the modem and disconnect the phone, otherwise you not only
tie up ports but you can get some enormous telephone costs.

Well that is more than you really wanted to know.  Hope it helps.
johnsonm@ohsu.edu
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Subject: (no subject given)