In the past years we have been continually adding to our product offering both in the visible sense and also in the back end. One of our key mantras is what happens when it breaks, note not IF it breaks 🙂
Strangely people in the development business tend to think of the Internet and programming as a maths like science, it isn’t. It is a hard lesson to learn that not only are we fallible but the Internet and your ISP definitely are not mathematically accurate, they aren’t and far from it.
The link between VETtrak and our online application is via the VETtrak API which is connected directly to the client’s database, via the Internet to our API and our database and the client’s website – complicated isn’t it! And yes it does go wrong occasionally.
The first thing to remember is that “blame is lame” but understanding is the key to developing reliable online customer service.
Murphy had it right when he, or was it she, said “everything that can go wrong will go wrong”. In response to this we have built a system that has a plan B when most things happen. We are sure we have most covered but we are also sure that over time we will be adding more and more code to cover the various possibilities.
The enrolment form works even if there is a disconnect between your VETtrak server and the website and you can even take credit card payments
We have a Verify Me link on our website so you can check your own web service is working before you contact us – if it isn’t working it means you need to contact your network support person.
If there is a major change on content in your VETtrak database we double check the connection is correct before we load all the data – belt and braces.
We strongly recommend the OzSoft hosting service for reliable and scalable infrastructure. We also make is very easy to switch to their system with a set of migration tools in an easy to use panel.
Just to make sure everything is working as it should be we are testing and checking connections and connection in the background – if there is an issue we will know about it long before you in most cases.
Our servers are monitored 24/7, have back up connections to the Internet, back up power, the highest security data centre in Australia, gas fire retardant system, daily incremental file backup and weekly external backup of all data.
Having said all this we are not complacent; in the coming fortnight we will be adding an API response time tracking application that will email you if an issue is developing or send an SMS if there is a major issue.
If you believe, as we do, that the technology solutions we offer are mission-critical, then it is essential to take advantage of the breadth of support and data security we offer. Ultimately, this will be a compliance issue; isn’t everything?
