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The Ups and Downs of Technology Advancements

Are we better off in our current IP-connected world than we were 10 years ago?

One recent morning Todd was able to be in three places at once. He had a client who needed their Apple TV rebooted, another wanted to change their Wi-Fi password, and his team was on site commissioning a new system. All he needed were three browser windows to get everything taken care of without leaving his office. With OvrC and Wattbox on-site, he was able to reboot the Apple TV, he could then VPN into the second site and reconfigure the access points, and he was able to configure a Crestron Home system from afar for his on-site team. Everyone was happy —client #1 got their Netflix back quickly, client #2 changed their Wi-Fi password so their neighbor couldn’t mooch, and the team was up and running quickly on site at client #3 without having to wait for Todd to get there.

Snap One’s OvrC

That got us to thinking how great modern systems are with all the IP-connected devices, from PDUs to access points to control systems and more. It all supports our ability to quickly service clients without having to roll a truck. But then Mark made a comment that made us both laugh — are we better off now or were we better off 10 or 15 years ago when nothing was online and the only thing that needed a regular reboot was a cable box? Maybe we are both just forgetting the bad and the ugly and only remembering the good, but it feels like we had way fewer service calls (on site or remote) before everything became connected.

Also by Todd and Mark: Our Video Distribution Recommendations

Being able to provide 24/7/365 support, either in-house or outsourced through a third party such as Parasol, is a huge competitive advantage and a great revenue stream. Clients are always happy when we can fix things fast and feel empowered when we can give them the tools to troubleshoot themselves (like OvrC Home or a keypad button to reboot the network). And our quality of life is better when we do not have to scramble to get a tech to someone’s home in order to reboot a cable box.

Has technology helped us and hurt us at the same time? We think we like it better today, but sometimes we find ourselves wishing for the good ol’ days.

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