1. Leveraging the Cloud: A New Way of Managing Testing
Wayne Allen
Product Marketing Engineer, Fluke Networks
Wednesday May 20th, 2015

2. The IT Cloud of things The IT industry is full of “Buzz” words!
Cloud is one of these emerging technologies
What does Cloud Computing Mean?
Cloud Computing means storing or accessing data or programs over the internet.
New Technologies are creating heavy reliance on the network and hence the data cabling.
We rely on WiFi to take some of this load.
To get the instant gratification we want, we are demanding higher network speeds.

3. The IT Cloud of things
Cloud technology most likely touches us in some way each day, think…
MicroSoft Office 365
Google Drive
Apple iCloud
DropBox
X as a Service
New Technologies are creating heavy reliance on the network and hence the data cabling.
We rely on WiFi to take some of this load.
To get the instant gratification we want, we are demanding higher network speeds.

4. What do we have in our Industry?
We have lots of data!
Test reports for each job we do
Tester configurations
Different software packages for different brands of tester
Having the right version can be painful
Ever had totally rubbish results turned in by you field staff?

5. Results Management Issues
Typical time consuming tasks
Edit cable identifiers that are not according to specifications
Combine multiple test types into a single report
Rework incomplete reports
Get the results (typically stored in the tester) from the job site back to the office to generate reports
Time spent transporting testers just to get test results takes a tester out of circulation which impacts other jobs !
Customers report a number of problems in results management that take up time. 
The following three are the most common:
Cable identifiers in the reports don’t match the specifications and need to be manually edited.
Multiple test types (copper, fiber tier 1, tier two, different standards) need to be combined into a single report.
Reports have to be reworked because they are incomplete
Contractors report spending 7.9 hours per month – nearly a full day – on these issues.
This is in addition to the time required to get the results (typically stored in the tester) from the job site back to the office where the results management takes place.  This also takes a tester out of circulation which may impact down other jobs.
Contractors report spending 7.9 hours per month – nearly a full day – on test result management issues.
Source: Fluke Networks survey, June 6, 2013

6. The More Testers, the More Complex it Gets
Contractors use multiple testers on multiple concurrent jobs to maximize efficiency leading to a new set of issues. Example
Test results stored in multiple testers have to be hunted down and consolidated.
Tests from another job get into the report by mistake and have to be removed.
Generate a report and discover not all the links were tested, and a crew has to return to the site to finish the job
Another issue is the lack of visibility in keeping track of job status under these circumstances.
For a contractor using a single tester on a single job, these problems are significant.  But very few contractors have the luxury of dedicating a single tester to a single job at a time.  To maximize efficiency, most contractors own or rent multiple testers and use them on multiple concurrent jobs. 
Properly keeping track of results under these conditions become even more difficult, leading to a whole new set of issues, including
Test results are stored in multiple testers which have to be hunted down and the results consolidated.
Tests from another job get into the report by mistake and have to be removed.
You're generating a report and you discover not all the links were tested, and a crew has to return to the site to finish the job
Installers report spending, on average, another 7.3 hours per month on these issues, for a total of nearly two days a month.  And the more testers owned by a firm, that larger the scope of the reported problem.  A related issue cited by customers is the lack of visibility in keeping track of job status under these circumstances.
Installers report spending, on average, another 7.3 hours per month on these issues, for a total of nearly two days a month.
Source: Fluke Networks survey, June 6, 2013

7. Worst-Case Scenario Other, less common, problems can be far worse…
With tens of thousands of testers on the market, our tech support team sees a lot of problems that an individual customer might not consider.  Most common being
Dealing with inadvertently erased or corrupted memory cards which store the results.
  Unfortunately, in most cases, the only answer is to perform all the tests over again.
Other, less common, problems can be far worse.  With tens of thousands of testers on the market, our tech support team sees a lot of problems that an individual customer might not consider. 
For example, we regularly receive calls asking how to recover inadvertently erased or corrupted memory cards which store the results. 
Unfortunately, in most cases, the only answer is to perform all the tests over again.  Testers or memory cards with results stored on them can also be lost or stolen, also requiring retesting. 
Thankfully, these are not common problems, because a single lost tester or erased data card can mean losing a full day’s or even a week’s worth of multiple techs’ time – dozens of hours lost and long delays in the project. 
A single lost tester or erased data card can mean losing a full day’s or even a week’s worth of multiple techs’ time – dozens of hours lost and long delays in the project. 

8. Top Contractor Problems?

9. Enter the Clouds
There are a number of vendors offering variations of Cloud solutions
Basic Data Storage
Workflow Management
Results and Tester Management

10. Think about being able to…
Track jobs in near real time with a common web enabled device.
Check the Test Limit Used
#1 Major Issue in the field
Ensure Correct Cable IDs
#2 Major issue in the field
Validate Test Results
Limit Reworking

11. Think about being able to…
Consolidate test results from Multiple Testers without the testers coming to the office!

12. Think about being able to…
Download data and upload new test configurations in remote locations or support inexperienced staff.

13. Think about being able to…
Being notified when a wrong test limit is used on site
Being notified when a wrong cable ID has been used against a result.
Being able to share testing results with the consultant and the OEM vendor as a site is being tested.
Not having to chase results that have been accidently erased from the tester.

14. Cloud technology enables…
Control of the project
Confidence in what is happening when you are not on site
Data integrity… good solutions are regularly and globally backed up.
Viewing of the data from multiple platforms independently of the devices operating system
Puts profit back into the job.

15. In Conclusion Cloud solutions are available today
Cloud solutions can help cut down the mistakes that reduce job profitability.
Cloud solutions let you store your valuable test data in one secure location.
No multiple memory stick all over the office!
Allows you to make testing easier for yourself and your team.

16. QUESTIONS?