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Now THIS is a Network Operations Center!

We talk about our network operation center, called a NOC, in our radio and television commercials—and here it is!

Through the images below, you are seeing into our state-of-the art Network Operation Center in Tyler, Texas in the U.S.A.—and in real time! You are seeing them even if it is the middle of the night because the cameras are infrared.

First of all the two images below are live. Take a look at the picture on the left for a moment. There is a digital clock in the first computer rack on the right. Compare the time with your clock (adjust the time zone of course) and you will see that it is exactly in sync with your time. If you look carefully you can probably see the hard disk lights flashing.

Here is what you can’t see in the racks.

There are five computer racks loaded almost exclusively with:

• Dell™ heavy-duty web servers
• SONICWALL™ firewalls
• Cisco™ routers and
• Tripp Lite™ inline power sources

Speaking of power, in the event of a disruption in our electrical service we maintain a twin Genrac™ natural gas fueled power plant. We have enough alternate power to run the entire Group M7 operation indefinitely. These are not the kind of computers that react well to abrupt power outages.  Besides that, no one likes a disruption in email or web services.

Now, back to the live images... The image on the right is where you can catch a glimpse of the qualified people who operate this complex operation and have the responsibility of maintaining our very large and powerful fiber optic network. If you are on the phone with them ask them to wave.

Behind their desks are a bank of air conditioners, six of them, with a capacity well in excess of 100,000 BTUs and capable of cooling the network center to a very chilly 58 degrees if we choose.

I am not suggesting that our operation center is 100% failsafe—nothing in this world is—but we have taken every measure to make certain we offer our clients the very best service possible.

Everything in our world has a failure from time to time—except the sun and the moon. And even they get eclipsed now and then.

We are giving it our best shot.

One last point—if another Web services company tells you they have their own network operation center, ask them to show you theirs—I just showed you GroupM7s.

Michael Mahfood S.N.
Managing Partner
November 1, 2011