Everything Shuts Down: Time to Call Open Options Tech Support

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The site was taken offline each time the DNA driver crashed, which was every time a download command was issued. If an attempt was made to restart it, the driver would immediately stop. The only option was to contact Tech Support at Open Options.

After initial troubleshooting by Tech Support did not resolve the issue, the Open Options technician, Jose Charco, asked the customer to send in the database, which was loaded up in Open Options’ state-of-the-art issue resolution environment. Jose worked with Lane Ford, a senior technician on the Tech Support team, to identify the issue.

The Tech Support team uncovered that the customer had an invalid time schedule parameter in their database. It was the cause of crashing the driver when it attempted to initiate the download. The next step was clearly to resolve it, relying on the ingenuity of Tech Support.

“Our subject matter expert, Lane, was quickly able to assist Jose with locating the issue in the customer’s database and provide custom SQL scripts to correct the issue on site,” said Nic Robran, Technical Support Manager, Open Options. “Once Jose was able to get back into the customer system, he executed those scripts against their database. They ran successfully and changed the rows with errors. He then started the DNA driver successfully, executed a download to all controllers, verified the DNA driver was stable, and verified the download completed successfully.”

As a result, the customer site was back online and 100% operational with the restored capability of being able to push downloads and new information out to all the controllers. The shutdown was finally over.

This is an example of the type of commitment to excellence that Open Options’ Tech Support team has. It represents the core values of the company’s Connect Care mantra. When you need to get back up and running, the Tech Support team are ready to jump into action to assist you.

COVID-19 Pandemic Stay-at-home Orders Don’t Stop Professional Services from Creating Graphics Maps

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Denver Public Schools needed graphics maps to show the status of the door, alarm points and cameras for every school campus in their district – a particularly useful illustration at a time when staff is working remotely. Because of the complexity and high number of buildings, the school district brought in Open Options’ Professional Services for assistance.

In order for this project to be successful, the Professional Services team had to create a duplicate DNA Fusion server remotely with the same server name, same file structure and same SQL database. The team was able to do it by creating a virtual computer in their test bed. The pre-work included test maps for the customer to evaluate and determine what the finished product would look like. The Open Options team exceeded the customer’s expectations, and the project was off to a strong start.

Despite the coronavirus (COVID-19)-related stay-at-home orders in March, the Professional Services team members were able to develop the graphics maps from their home offices. The ability to work remotely gives Open Options customers an advantage to get things done, even during these challenging times due to the global pandemic.

“Denver Public Schools selected Open Options to create graphics maps in order to provide their operators with an intuitive and efficient interface for managing such a large and complex environment ,” said John Hubbard, National Sales Engineer on Open Options’ Professional Services team.

The map project involves creating two maps for each school. One map for the administrative side with all doors, alarm points and cameras, and one map for the schools that shows everything but the cameras. By doing these maps in a certain order, Open Options is able to create both maps at the same time, allowing for this project to be completed in less time than if the customer had tried to complete it on their own. This is access that connects.

The Open Options Professional Services team is here for our customers, working remotely, yet still getting things done.

Coronavirus Pandemic Exposes Need for Tighter Visitor Management

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Because of the coronavirus pandemic threatening to spread among their patient population, a healthcare institution realized that they urgently needed to monitor and limit visitors. To make it easier for them, the Open Options sales team worked with the integrator to provide consultative advice and help this customer rapidly assess a wide variety of visitor management solutions.

Limiting visitors, who could potentially be carrying the novel coronavirus without knowing it, is key to preserving the health and safety of patients. The visitor management technology needs to support and align with a new visitor policy that the healthcare organization is required to institute, limiting one visitor per patient per day. This is intended to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19, the highly contagious coronavirus that has been sweeping across the world.

The customer expressed the need for a convenient way to monitor compliance with this new policy and to expeditiously pull reports based on it. Open Options was able to provide insight about the security aspects and desired outcomes of visitor management. In the face of unprecedented challenges because of the global pandemic, the trust that the customer and the integrator have with Open Options deepened.

“We worked with the healthcare customer’s integrator to propose all of the visitor management solutions that DNA Fusion works with, along with a few that we currently don't,” said Scot Sturges, Sales Manager at Open Options. “We want the customer to see the comprehensive spectrum of choices, so they can make the best decision possible to meet their immediate needs in this challenging time, as well as establishing a strong foundation for future expansion.”

Working from Home? Remote Training Offer for You: iLearn WebEx Sessions Available at a Discount

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Special Offer Bulletin

As stay-at-home orders and social distancing practices have become predominant across the United States and around the world in recent weeks, the Training team wants you to know that your learning can continue remotely, helping you make the most of your time. You can still grow your knowledge of DNA Fusion, so when the restrictions and stay-at-home orders are lifted in the future, you will be better prepared than ever.

To help you in this pursuit, the Open Options Training Department is making a special offer available to you during these unprecedented times. We will tailor a 4-hour WebEx session (2- 2-hour blocks) to meet your learning needs. To help our community of dealers and system users during this critical time, we’re offering the iLearn 4-hour block for only $500.00.

This online training will help you get the most out of your DNA Fusion system.

We’re here to help in any way that we can. We may have to practice social distancing, but it leaves the door open for distance learning. There is no better time to connect!

To get started, contact the Open Opions training team at training@ooaccess.com. We’re planning to make this offer available through May 31, 2020.

Share Your Story

How has life been for you since the coronavirus outbreak? How are you adapting to the changes in work life due to the pandemic? You are part of our community, and it’s vital that we all stay connected, even while this crisis persists. We want to hear from you.

Share with us how the recent events around the coronavirus pandemic have impacted your job and the way you’re working. Email us your story at training@ooaccess.com.

“For over 20 years, the mission of Open Option’s Training department has been to empower our customers with education. The past few weeks have shown us that, even in times of uncertainty, our organizations and communities remain strong and resourceful,” said Sherinda Barrow, Director of Education Services at Open Options. “With many businesses and organizations rolling out mandatory remote work policies, it has made us pause to reprioritize training efforts and develop new plans to connect with our customers.”