Sort of instant sort of messaging

Here’s a warning to anyone who’s considering using Island Tel Mobility’s text messaging service as a server monitor alert system (i.e. server goes down, you get a message): it doesn’t work.

Or rather, it does work, but not in any way that will be of help to you. We had a series of server challenges with a Boston-based server today — a combination of power outages and server load problems. I set up the server to send a message to my cell phone if the server load hit a certain threshold.

And it did. Several times.

From about 12:20 to 1:30 this afternoon, the server sent out 20 text messages. When did they arrive? Some arrived instantly. Others arrived 6 hours later. The last one — sent 10 hours ago — arrived just now.

Island Tel Mobility is honest about the shortcomings of their system — if you press them, they will tell you the service is not guaranteed to send messages.

Which has got to make you wonder: what good — for anything — is a text messaging service that may, or may not, send messages now, or at some point in the future. If this vague “maybe messaging” service makes server monitoring difficult, imagine what it would do if you’re trying to flirt with someone, or break up with them, or arrange to meet them on the corner, or ask them to bring home a package of diapers.

I imagine that some of this is related to Island Tel Mobility outsourcing the text messaging service to a Stamford, CT-based company called i3mobile. Maybe if they took the service in-house and got some solid Island techs working on it, they could make it work like it should?

Comments

Craig Willson's picture
Craig Willson on October 17, 2002 - 10:32 Permalink

…and just as an aside, text messaging will not work for phones in Australia.

Kevin O's picture
Kevin O on October 17, 2002 - 12:25 Permalink

When will everyone stop beating up on Island Tel? Haven’t they suffered enough!

Steven Garrity's picture
Steven Garrity on October 17, 2002 - 12:43 Permalink

Yeah, we’ve come to call it “latent messaging”.

Craig Willson's picture
Craig Willson on October 17, 2002 - 13:42 Permalink

As I splashed my way down Brackley Point Road this morning, I noted a very wet telcohead working on a line card box. On the side of the truck (still says Island Telephone) was the slogan “Less than you would expect.” Hmmmmmm.

Alan's picture
Alan on October 17, 2002 - 13:56 Permalink

LOL, Willson.

Does this service have anything to do with Island Tel? Isn’t it the same service that Telus provides (its pricing shifted to the Telus one when they came in). Is it Aliant wide, BCE wide? How would the mythical superior grade of animal the “Island tech” [MUA* award winner] fix the regional or national service? Would whatever is left of Island Tel/Shell have any say in choosing a better party to contract out to? Sounds like a cry to eat apples as bananas are from away and therefore inferior.

[*most useless adjective]

Craig Willson's picture
Craig Willson on October 17, 2002 - 14:00 Permalink

As I splashed my way down Brackley Point Road this morning, I noted a very wet telcohead working on a line card box. On the side of the truck (still says Island Telephone) was the slogan “Less than you would expect.” Hmmmmmm.

Alan's picture
Alan on October 17, 2002 - 15:38 Permalink

Not so funny the second time…