When Companies Move

By Joseph C. Wateski



Moving On, Moving Out, whether your taste calls for Bad Company or Billy Joel, your company is on the march É right out the door. And while change is good, and change is necessary, change is also well É disruptive. While the boss-man busies himself with such crucial issues as carpet swatches and where the nearest driving range is relative to the new address, it's likely that the responsibility of your voice and data networks (that's phones and computers to those of us with lives) will be turned over to someone more underpaid and under-appreciated. Don't look now, but that might be you. Here then, is a primer 101 for getting your networks up and running.

1 Call your local phone carrier, i.e.,

Verizon. I say Verizon because even if you use say, Cavalier, US-LEC, or any of the other C-LECs providing dial-tone, Verizon still gets involved at some point. You will need to tell them the exact address of the new location and first determine whether you can retain your existing phone numbers. Do not assume that just because the new address is right up the street that this will happen. The sooner you know for sure, the better off you'll be with regards to things like stationery, advertising, etc. Additionally, Verizon likes to have about 45 days to do many things, such as changing service and/or locations. You may even want to have them set up phone and broadband service at your new location a few days to a week before the actual move-in date, especially if you plan on having more lines, or different services, at the new address than you currently use.

2 Get in contact with your existing tele-

phone vendor, the company who set up the actual phone system that you are using, unless, of course, they are one of the many tech companies that has either gone out of business recently or that changes its name so often, it doesn't even bother to print it on its service vehicles anymore. If this is the case, or if you've lost confidence in its ability to take care of you, find another company. The best way, of course, is to have a company referred to you by someone you trust. If not, find a new yellow pages directory, and compare the companies listed to those found in an olf yellow pages directory. The idea of course is to find someone who is well established and reputable. Find out from them whether your existing phone system has the capacity to grow into the new location. Oftentimes, a company moves because they have outgrown their existing digs, and the new location has more elbow room, and/or warehouse space. Make sure that your phone system has sufficient ports to accommodate at least 3 -5 years projected growth. If not, then a new system may be in your immediate future. Moving time is an excellent opportunity to upgrade your telecommunications systems, because the money it would cost to move a klunky old system can be put towards buying a shiny new one.

3 Consult a credible cabling company, or

perhaps the phone vendor that you've chosen can do this for you. If this is the case, find out whether they do the work themselves or outsource it to someone else. We live in a world of specialists, and for good reason. While your electrician is more than qualified to install your high voltage devices, he may not be the best person to engineer and install your voice and data networks. Ask yourself this question: Other than your coffee maker, is there anything in your office you depend on and use more than your phones and computers? Granted, voice and data cabling is not rocket science, but it certainly can crash like an old Sputnik if not done by someone experienced in that particular field. Many times, the new location will already be wired by the former tenant. Do not assume that their cabling will meet your needs. First off, it's unlikely that their floor plan will match yours, and you don't want cords running all over the floor. Secondly, former tenants generally don't worry about the new tenant when they take their equipment with them. That means that the common point cabling may look like someone took a chainsaw to it, leaving nothing identified and perhaps with not enough slack cabling to re-use the ends. And, with regards to data cabling, if the former tenant was there for a while, chances are good that the old wires will not meet today's standards for fast data transmission. The time that it would take to make ready the old cabling often rivals the time that it takes to install new. The bottom line is that new cabling may not cost much more than getting the old stuff to do what you want, and you have the piece of mind knowing that everything will work properly.

4 Actually, this could have gone

3rd ... determine where you will want to have your server and phone cabinet. These should be in the same room, or at least the same general area, if at all possible. For one thing, it's less expensive to cable that way. For another, modern networks have a fair bit of convergence between phone and computer and, of course, close proximity of the two will make for easier trouble-shooting in the future. The room you choose should be clean and comfy, that is, with plenty of fresh HVAC; treat your electronics well if you want them to last. And, it should have a door with a lock on it, so that prying hands and wandering eyes are not privy to your critical equipment.

5 Get a few quotes, ask for recent ref-

erences, and call them. Ask them about training, how well the company you are considering coordinated with them and other contractors, and if they delivered everything they promised. Base your decision on who will do the best job, and, if applicable, which equipment will work best for your company, both today and into the future. If your only criteria is lowest price, remember the time-tested saying: "You get what you pay for." Once you make your decision, supply your vendor with whatever information it will need, such as names of general contractor, property management person, phone bills, dates, etc. Now that you've put your trust in the hands of a qualified company, coordinate with it as needed, tell your boss you still have much to do, and take little break. You've earned it.



Joseph C. Wateski is with Cabling Solutions Inc. and may be reached at ?????