Backtalk

People Arris Nabs Emmendorfer

Mike Emmendorfer has joined Arris as senior director of Solution Architecture and Strategy. He previously served as the corporate senior director of Advanced Engineering-IP at Charter Communications.

Maki Joins SMPTE

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers hired Kimberly Maki to serve as its new executive director. Maki previously served as SCTE VP of marketing, membership and business development.

Symmetricon Hires Armstrong

Symmetricom named James Armstrong VP of engineering of the company’s Telecom Solutions Division. Obituaries Wendell Bailey

Former NCTA VP, Science & Technology Wendell Bailey died on Sept 26. Most recently chief technologist for advanced broadband technology at NBC, he served 17 years in the NCTA post. Current NCTA VP Bill Check recalled Bailey’s "passion for cable’s technology, his dynamic vision and warm camaraderie, and his boundless energy in the service of our industry."

William (Bill) Evans

Canadian cable pioneer and amateur radio enthusiast Bill Evans died on October 9. Senior Member of the IEEE and SCTE and several Canadian and other technical associations, Evans spent 18 years with the Manitoba Telephone System before joining the cable industry. He is credited several leading-edge developments, including a 145-mile amplifier cascade. Letters: Laptops in the Field CT’s Pipeline recently asked its readers whether field techs need laptops. Here’s one of the responses.

One big point that is overlooked with respect to laptops is the ability to send information from the office to the field. Some examples: the latest release of maps; any pending changes to software for CPE in the field; the latest corporate announcement; any upcoming timesheet or holiday pay changes; any pending action necessary from employees with respect to their insurance or benefits, etc.



That’s one of the biggest concerns that front-line employees offer when surveyed about what they want from their jobs. They want consistent communication about any work-related issues, and they want it in a timely fashion. This is an extremely simple request to grant if an operator can fund laptops for the employees. If not, at least making a company email account available (and possibly a bank of computers available in the tech center) and requiring its use would go a long way toward solving this ever-present problem.



Requiring technicians to check their company email regularly would enable the front-line management and above to continuously disseminate information cheaply and quickly to the field. How long would it take a company to get a return on the laptop investment when calculating this into the equation? Making sure that every new face that walks through the door gets a profile on the company email server would provide the quality control to make sure no one gets missed.

Patrick Hunter, BPS
Charter Communications