SNAZZY NEW INTERFACE REFLECTS ROBUSTNESS OF LATEST BULLETIN SYSTEM

The current release of PerfTech’s Bulletin System, Version 4.1, entailed a complete rewrite based on a 64-bit operating system, resulting in boosting performance and capacity exponentially. Now, the upcoming Version 4.2 offers the same dramatic makeover to the product’s user interface and reporting tool.

CONSOLE INTERFACE
Highlighting Version 4.2, the Console 4 interface represents a total rewrite and redesign, sporting a modern, responsive look and feel. Its new capabilities include an interactive template-bulletin builder and editor—both with dynamic preview—and policy scheduler. New message creation, automatically generated in multiple formats, is now easy and fast. In addition, Console 4 no longer uses Java and now utilizes SSL.

REPORTING
To expand reporting capabilities, the internal history database was redesigned for greater efficiency and flexibility.A modern, highly graphic new reporting tool called Bstats (Bulletin statistics) is now integrated into Console 4, enabling ISP customers to monitor and analyze bulletin campaign data in real time from any or multiple policies by any event and/or response-action criteria that are logged in the system’s history files. Multiple history file instances may be defined, each with its own destination, output format, and attributes, enabling multiple departments for example, to extract the data useful to them. Read more...

QUICK STATS: NEARLY 40% OF INFECTED SUBS RESPOND QUICKLY TO BOTNET ALERT

When Botnet activity is detected on the network of one of PerfTech’s large ISP customers, an in-browser alert is triggered to quickly make affected subscribers aware of the problem and provide resources for remedial action.  A campaign for this purpose was launched on April 30 of this year and continues on an ongoing basis, with subscribers added in batches regularly.

The in-browser alert includes a “Yes, Scan” button that results in performing a free scan of the subscriber’s device, and a button option to “Remind Me Later.”  Additionally, two links in the message text connect to a description of the ISP’s security package, so the subscriber can read about the process, and then proceed to scan, if desired.  Choosing “Remind Me Later” causes the alert to reappear every other day until a definitive action is taken.  Results to date show:

“Scan” options response rate:  38.3%
“Remind Me Later” response rate:  33.4%
Average number of alerts per subscriber before action taken:  3.1

While a third of alerted subscribers choose to be reminded, nearly 40% proceed to a “scan” action immediately—a significant response given they must drop their current browsing activity to scan.  Additionally, some subscribers, after being alerted, may have elected to browse to the security software outside of the in-browser message, in which case they are not included in the PerfTech counts, but result in performing the requested remediation.

PERFTECH AT SUMMER SHOWS 2018

Meet PerfTech in Germany or Colorado at one of these summer shows:

JUNE 4-7:  MUNICH:  MAAWG
Execs Jane Christ and Jonathan Schmidt will host a luncheon at this security conference.

JUNE 12-14:  COLOGNE:  ANGA
PerfTech Sales EVP Jane Christ will be on hand at the ANGA Exhibition and Conference, Booth 7/H9, alongside our friends at Open Vault and Omni Remotes. 

AUGUST 5-8:  KEYSTONE:  CABLELABS SUMMER
PerfTech is proud to be a regular exhibitor at this semi-annual show; attending sales execs are Jane Christ, Rich Skowronski, and Richard Phelps.

QUICK STATS: FAVORABLE RESPONSE TO AN ISP’S “OOPS” MOMENT

It can happen to the best of ISPs:  an “oops, our bad” moment.  One of PerfTech’s regional ISP customers discovered that they mistakenly had not been collecting a rental fee for a CPE device, and now they needed to begin charging.  It can be tricky—asking customers to begin paying for something that so far has been “free.”  The ISP decided quickly to send an in-browser message to announce the omission, to explain that the rental fee would now appear on customer bills going forward, and to reassure them there would be no retroactive charges.  The message also included the amount of the rental fee, which was small, to preclude calls asking for that piece of information.

The in-browser message was sent only to those subscribers affected, and in batches across overlapping time windows lasting in sum for about six weeks.  Response options included phoning the ISP support number displayed, or selecting one of two active buttons, with these results:

“OK, THANKS” response rate:  55.8%
“CHAT NOW” response rate:  15.0%
Total online response rate:  70.8% 

Note that while most consider a response rate over 70% to be highly successful, the definitive response rate would also add in those customers who phoned the ISP support center directly, a statistic not known to the in-browser platform, and would result in an even greater response.

PERFTECH’S SKOWRONSKI TAPPED TO JOIN BOARD OF CETS

At the CETS Spring annual meeting and seminar in Florida earlier this month, the organization invited Rich Skowronski, PerfTech VP of North American Sales, to serve a term as a member of its Board of Directors.  CETS, the Customer Experience and Telco Sales Association, brings together professionals from both service providers and vendors within the Telecom industry to share best practices and industry trends.  Rich joined the PerfTech sales team in June, 2016, after an extensive career including over 30 years in the sale of communication technology products, software, and services, and over 20 years managing and directing national account sales.  Among the eight current board members, Rich represents the only vendor member to have a seat on the CETS board.