 |
 |
It's a
common frustration for all of us. We go to open an application
on our computer and quite inexplicably our system freezes
up or shuts down all together. What's worse, when we consult
IT professionals for resolution, we're tasked with relating
the exact details of the event without use of their specific,
technical vocabulary. Another common scenario—having
to recite the details of the error message that flashed before
our eyes only momentarily.
|
|
Thankfully,
these scenarios are quickly becoming a thing of the past with
use of Itron Problem Resolution System (PRS). It's an automated
information gathering tool used to assist Itron in the retrieval,
detection and resolution of problems reported by customers.
The tool offers a simple, on-demand web interface, allowing
Itron the ability to see exactly what the user experience
is and solve problems in less time with better information.
Investing
in this technology is what sets Itron support services apart
from others in the industry. It helps Itron to deliver tailor-made
assistance to customers. Just as a "black box" flight
recorder on an aircraft captures a comprehensive, real-time
record of each flight, PRS works in much the same way. The
PRS blackbox is automatically downloaded, and once complete
it is removed from the target machine. The user need only
to start PRS, duplicate the issue and follow the process for
sending the recording to Itron. The PRS blackbox monitors
application execution and captures a synchronized, real-time
log of Itron-specific application activity at several levels.
User activity is represented through fully-synchronized screen
captures complete with key strokes and mouse clicks. It also
tracks system and application configuration and performance,
system- and code-level performance, and internal logging and
other custom events. Recording files are stored and uploaded
to Itron's support site in a custom compression format.
So with
all this power, does this mean that Itron is installing a
product on your machine that will allow us to gather too
much data, i.e., spyware?
"Not
in the least," says Dwayne LeBlanc, a senior research
and development manager at Itron. "Itron's recording
profiles are tuned to record only information relevant to
Itron products. Users control which Itron recording profiles
are downloaded to their machines and whether the recordings
are sent back to Itron."
PRS is
currently available to customers utilizing Distribution Staker,
Itron Enterprise Edition™, MV-90 xi, MVLT xi, MV-PBS
and Premierplus4. Additional Itron and Actaris applications
will be added in the near future. Customers interested in
learning more should contact support services at support@itron.com.
|
