#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.
Simplify Fiber Network Management with COS Business Engine
FTTH solutions
FTTH solutions are designed to simplify the planning, building, and operating a fiber broadband network is very complex, and we have made it our mission to make each step as simple, efficient, and automated as possible for you.
We automate your fiber venture from conducting a broadband survey to find out where the demand for fiber is the highest and where you should start building your network to zero-touch provisioning and billing. Whether you are a traditional ISP, a network operator, or a network owner – our solutions can help you run your business more efficiently and profitably.
COS Business Engine revolutionizes telecom operations! It accelerates digital transformation, improves data accuracy, and meets the challenges of modern fiber broadband networks.
Let’s Connect and Transform Your Fiber Project
Are you ready to take the next step in transforming your fiber project? If you’re looking for a partner committed to automation, efficiency, and excellence, COS Systems is here to help.
Contact us today and discuss how our fiber network solutions can empower your business bridging the digital divide and providing our communities with comprehensive FTTH coverage.
If you want to dive deeper into the topic, I highly recommend reading our whitepaper.
Generate High Take Rates with Fiber Marketing
Fiber Marketing
Unlocking the Potential of Fiber Marketing for ISPs and Network Operators
No matter if you are a traditional Internet Service Provider (ISP), an Open Access Operator, or a wholesale network operator, your main goal is to make the network as attractive as possible and to generate high take rates.
A great way to do this is to use an online marketplace that enables your customers to choose what they want when they want and no matter where they are – around the clock!
No matter if you’re offering three or five different internet plans, you need to be able to easily market these to your potential customers while creating a great user experience.
This kind of self-service offers flexibility for your customers as they’re not dependent on the opening hours of your customer service center, and faster scalability for you, as you have automated the steps from the customer choosing a service through zero-touch provisioning to their address and collecting their billing information.
Explore the potential of Fiber Marketing and elevate your network’s attractiveness today.
Let’s Connect and Transform Your Fiber Project
Are you ready to take the next step in transforming your fiber project? If you’re looking for a partner committed to automation, efficiency, and excellence, COS Systems is here to help.
Contact us today and discuss how our fiber network solutions can empower your business bridging the digital divide and providing our communities with comprehensive FTTH coverage.
If you want to dive deeper into the topic, I highly recommend reading our whitepaper.
#11 COS Christmas Calendar — File Attachments to Tickets
# 11 makes troubleshooting much easier! Our latest feature update lets you upload images and other file types and connect them to tickets. It’s a valuable feature designed to enhance the efficiency of your support. This functionality allows Service Providers to include essential visual information, such as screenshots of an error in the system when creating a ticket. This streamlined process not only simplifies the communication of complex technical issues between Service Provider and Network Operator but also ensures that everyone receives comprehensive visual documentation to complement the written description, which makes troubleshooting easier and more efficient.
#10 COS Christmas Calendar — Embrace the power of RADIUS with COS Business Engine’s freeRADIUS integration.
#10 Is really exciting news from the COS team!
We’re thrilled to introduce our latest advancement: a native freeRADIUS integration designed to revolutionize your network management. This cutting-edge feature supports a wide array of vendors, BNGs (Broadband Network Gateways), DHCP servers, and third-party provisioning systems. It works by utilizing ONT and Subscriber attributes in line with the RADIUS standard.
What sets this integration apart is its incredible flexibility. It’s tailored to accommodate any vendor-specific attributes for BNGs, including popular ones like netElastic, Juniper, and Nokia, among others. This means you can seamlessly integrate various provisioning systems and methods into one unified platform without the hassle of individual or separate integrations.
Thinking of upgrading your network element provisioning? Now’s the time to embrace the power of RADIUS with COS Business Engine’s freeRADIUS integration. Simplify your network management today!
#9 COS Christmas Calendar — Eliminate “swivel charing” and utilize data from other sources in Business Engine with our Prospects Partner API
#9 With our Prospects Partner API, it is now possible to synchronize and utilize the data you’ve gathered from other sources, e.g., the results of a broadband survey, (pre) sign-ups for your offers, or orders from your subscribers.
Even if you’re not using our marketplace to run your network, you have access to all that data, and without “swivel charing,” you can see and do the following on your BE interface:
Check availability: Search for an object to see if the option to take a survey, sign up for services, or order services is available for that object/address.
Check the status: Search for an object to see how many orders have been placed, surveys conducted, or sign-ups (prospects) have been created.
#8 COS Christmas Calendar — Speed Test Diagnostic Tool
#8 is an improvement of our Object Birth Certificate functionality.
After installing a new service location and activating the ONT for the first time, the installer can test and document the quality of the new fiber connection. With the Object Birth Certificate functionality in COS Business Engine, this task is automated, thereby saving manual work and eliminating the risk of human error.
The system saves relevant information automatically as part of the installation work order process, and the stored data can later be used for comparison if there is a problem with a service location later on.
Diagnostic Data from ONT Saved During Installation
When the ONT is connected to the service location in the COS Business Engine installation workflow, diagnostics information for the installed ONT is automatically retrieved and stored. This is done through the COS Zero Touch Provisioning integration with the hardware vendor EMS (Element Management System). The diagnostics information includes
#7 COS Christmas Calendar — New Monitoring Feature for Network Connection Status
#7 The new display option on the Dashboard map introduces an enhanced monitoring feature for network connection status.
This feature provides users with an overview of the ONTs (Optical Network Terminal) and their current status. By clearly indicating which units are installed and which ones are not, the map gives users a quick insight into the distribution of the network.
A particularly useful aspect of this feature is the ability to indicate whether each ONT is reachable or unreachable within the network. The clear visualization of network connection status on the map facilitates troubleshooting and enables real-time action to ensure a stable and reliable network connection.
What is an ONT?
An Optical Network Outlet (ONT) is an outlet to the internet for fiber technology, just like a cable modem is an outlet for a coaxial cable internet connection. In your fiber network, the ONT is the modem. It sends infrared light pulses to communicate with your ISP (Internet Service Provider), and with the fiber router in your house or apartment, you can then get and distribute a Wi-Fi signal to all your devices.
#6 COS Christmas Calendar — New Operations API
#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.
What is an ONT?
ONT stands for Optical Network Terminal. An ONT also called “fiber box” or “modem” is an outlet to the Internet for fiber technology, just like a cable modem is an outlet for a coaxial cable Internet connection. In your fiber network, the ONT communicates with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and converts the signal from optical to electrical and vice versa. With the fiber router in your house or apartment, you can then get and distribute a Wi-Fi signal to all your devices.
#5 COS Christmas Calendar — Meet Marcus Kitchens out New Senior Sales Executive
#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.