Follow the COS Christmas Calendar 2023 here to learn about new features, colleagues, win prizes and more!
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#6 We have several great, native integrations fostered by deep industry relationships with key partners in place, and #6 is the new API (Application Programming Interface) that we have added to our Partner API suite.
Often, a Network Operations Center – a NOC- runs and monitors a fiber network. Our integration synchronizes information between the NOC, Business Engine , and the subscriber.
It allows the NOC to push information about network disruptions into Business Engine and connect affected customers (their addresses) to this disruption.
In practice, this means that a customer experiencing trouble with their connection (because they’re affected by the disruption but don’t know it) will either go online to report the error or call their Service Provider to do so.
The start page displays information about the disruption if they go to the online marketplace to create a ticket (upgrade services or update their payment info or address)
If they choose to call their Service Provider (SP) instead, the SP sees the same information when they view the customer on the admin interface in Business Engine.
#5 is a special day, as it is Marcus’ birthday! We won’t reveal how many candles are on his birthday cake, but he’ll probably tell you if you reach out to him. Below, you find a short interview with Marcus to get to know our latest addition to the team and our new Senior Sales Executive a bit better.
Tell us a little bit about yourself – who are you, and what is your background?
Hi! I’m Marcus Kitchens. I started my career as a GIS Analyst for a Houston, TX based firm after graduating college and interning @ Esri. After working in Houston for two years, I joined NISC as a MapWise Support Specialist. At NISC, I helped their members solve any mapping questions/concerns that they had. While @ NISC, I focused on the Telecom side of things. I spent three years @ NISC before I had the opportunity to work for Esri as an Account Manager for Local Government out of the St. Louis Regional Office. In this role @ Esri, I helped cities/counties (under 50k in population) in Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and Kentucky modernize their ArcGIS platform. I worked in this role @ Esri for (almost) 5 years before joining COS Systems as a Senior Sales Executive. I’m ecstatic to be a part of this great team @ COS Systems and can’t wait to see what the future holds.
What caught your interest in COS Systems?
COS’ end-to-end-automation approach is what ‘caught my interest.’ I’m a big fan of automation when it comes to helping people with their work. The GREAT team spirit and the dedication to customers at COS Systems piqued my curiosity, too. I love working with a fun team dedicated to helping their customers. So – COS Systems was a no-brainer. The chance of participating in Fika may have played a role, too 😉
What are your goals for the coming months?
To learn as much as possible about how our software works and how our software can help deliver services to the community! Also, I look forward to meeting my COS Systems colleagues and getting to know them.
Why should people contact you and press the “connect with Marcus” button?
We want to connect as many people as possible to fast and reliable internet. However, building, running, and operating fiber networks that can offer just that is extremely complex, and we have made it our goal to make it as automated, effective, and viable as possible. As part of the Sales Team, I would love to have a conversation about how COS Systems can make your job easier. No matter if you are a traditional operator who wants to offer your subscribers a better customer experience or if you own an Open Access Wholesale Network and want to increase take-rates and extend the number of services on your network – we can help automate your processes from beginning to end; from broadband survey and demand aggregation to zero-touch provisioning and automated, (wholesale) billing.
Tell us fun facts about yourself.
I can play the piano! I have 2 long-haired dachshunds that are a bundle of cuteness, but both of them keep me busy with their shenanigans. I LOVE riding bikes whether it’s mountain biking, gravel biking, road biking, or even an exercise bike! I love it all when it comes to biking. One of my dreams is to follow the Tour de France in person. I’ve been watching it on TV for 20+ years with my dad. I would love to see it in real life one day.
#4 Is our latest whitepaper, “The difference between hitting a home run and striking out in your fiber investments”.
Investing in fiber infrastructure has gained popularity among investors, resulting in many closed deals in recent years. The trend shows that there will be even more investments in renewable energy and digital infrastructure areas next year!
The whitepaper presents three critical considerations for a successful fiber infrastructure investment:
- Securing Demand
- Controlling Costs
- Adapting Advanced Software Solutions
#3 Is our new text messaging function. Aside from sending emails to your customers, you can now use text messages to communicate with them. Customers receive messages of your choice as text messages if they have consented to receive that type of communication and if you have defined a template. For example, you can quickly inform them about upcoming disruptions or a successful installation.
#1 is a really cool feature update! We have significantly extended the Area functionality in Business Engine. When expanding your network, you can use the demand aggregation features to allow potential subscribers to take surveys or pre-signup, making sure you build where you have committed subscribers. The Areas’s, often called “Fiberhoods” or “Service Zones”, status determines what the potential subscriber will be presented with when they search for their address in the Marketplace, and you can now define these yourself! Perhaps your fiberhoods go through the statuses show interest, signup, installation, connected? This update makes it even easier to tailor service offerings and promotions to these unique areas, even after build-out. As a bonus, we have made it possible for you to choose your own colors to indicate the status of the areas on the admin maps, and creating them is even easier with improved import and editing functionality.
COS Systems delivers a cloud-based platform built for broadband operators, automating operations from demand generation through provisioning, billing, and field service. Operators run COS Business Engine for retail ISP operations or COS Wholesale Engine for multi-provider Open Access networks, with COS FSM and COS Prospector extending the platform for field service management and door-to-door sales.
