Can I go to set up the equipment in Spain?

The main circle of our customers is located in Moscow and the Moscow region. Of course, many of them have their offices in the vast expanses of our Motherland and not only. But it turns out that business trips, even over distances of more than 200 km, rarely happen.

Most often, the basic infrastructure is located in Moscow and you need to “turn the screws” in our city. And most of the work in general can be done remotely. And sometimes you wonder how an engineer is ready to contrive, so as not to go to the other end of the city. At the same time, when it comes to setting up equipment in another city, an engineer with great enthusiasm suggests going there, referring to the fact that there may be problems with remote configuration. Business trips happen infrequently, which means they are outlandish and desirable events.

The engineers show the greatest enthusiasm when it is necessary to set up equipment located somewhere abroad. Especially, if we are talking about the informatization of any yacht moored off the coast of Italy. And what, after all, it is necessary, firstly, to have wireless coverage on the yacht, Internet access, as well as secure communication with the office. Rest is a vacation, and business requires constant attention. When information appears about a project abroad, a lively discussion immediately begins. Since the engineers are kind and caring people, they are always ready to help their colleague and help them in setting up the equipment. Therefore, immediately there are several people who want to participate in the project. One offers himself as a project engineer, another assistant project engineer, third assistant assistant, etc. Of course, everyone understands that the probability of being sent there is small enough, if we are not talking about some big project. Here begins to play not only the economic component (the cost of transfer and accommodation), but also competition with the customer's specialists. They themselves are happy to go on a trip abroad to provide on-site remote access and ensure supervision of the work being done. Therefore, most often it remains only to imagine yourself sitting on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and setting up network equipment to ensure communication with the office in autumn Moscow.

But there are exceptions. In one of the projects, we discussed with the customer the placement of its key infrastructure in the data center in Spain. The customer expressed the need for on-site assistance, which was most positively perceived and even reinforced by the project engineer. The engineer even prepared a list of arguments for, which was provided to all decision makers. In general, everything was as well as possible. It was time to think about getting a fresh Schengen visa. But at a certain stage, unexpectedly, the customer decided to change the location of the equipment and chose for this ... Angola. Immediately all the enthusiasm to carry out work on the site disappeared. But there was a new list of arguments, now in favor of the fact that it is more profitable and efficient to do everything remotely.
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In fact, remote configuration of equipment located abroad is not uncommon in our work. Moreover, the geography of places is quite large: the countries of North and Latin America, Europe and Asia (with Angola, by the way, did not work out). And here the engineer has the opportunity to imbued with the mentality of the IT community in another country, as he has to keep in close contact with local engineers. What is often an interesting and informative event. You can even accidentally ask for a visit. Once, when implementing one of the projects, we helped the Mexican provider with solving a problem in the communication channel with IP-telephony. For which modestly asked to send tequilas. The guys there are normal, they did not refuse. But they said that they would certainly be treated as soon as we came to visit them.

There are also local trips abroad. Yes, yes, I was not mistaken, it is local, without going outside the city. We are talking about setting up equipment in some embassy. At the entrance a passport is taken from you, and hop - you are already, for example, in Kuwait. However, instead of sand, standard linoleum mixed with laminate is underfoot. And to see a sheikh on a Ferrari at the embassy is quite difficult. However, I don’t always want to work remotely in our city. Often the customer is a company that is very interesting to visit. And moreover, not being an employee of this company or a specially invited person is almost impossible. Even if the site itself is located in a nondescript room, made in the IT style "server". Quite often, the customer is ready to conduct a mini-tour of his company, which becomes doubly interesting. So you can get into the news studio of the television or feel like a DJ on the radio station. Plunge into the atmosphere of exchange speculation or just walk through one of the most beautiful office space in our city.

One of the tasks that opens almost all doors is to conduct a radio survey. The specificity of the work is such that an engineer with measuring equipment, in an amicable way, should get into all the rooms. Of course, you can make different approximations and assumptions. But it's easier and more accurate just to go everywhere. In this regard, it turns out that in all places where you need wifi, as a result, the foot of the engineer must step. You need wifi in the money vault in the bank, please come in, engineer, measure the signal level. We need wifi in the office of the president of the company, which is a part-time mini-museum - welcome here.

Yes, by the way, museums, various exhibitions, etc., are also nice to visit as part of projects. Itself, maybe, never would go. But the Motherland called, and it turned out that it was very interesting. A separate "museum" for the engineer - data center on the M9. The engineer, especially in telecommunications, goes there as if on holiday. Of course, if on duty you have to visit him often, the raid of the uniqueness and interestingness of the place disappears. But if this happens infrequently, each time, wandering between the racks, you feel somehow special. Monstrous buzzing devices of various colors and shapes dazzle a bit.

Separately, it is worthwhile to dwell on projects that involve the installation of equipment at some factory or production facility. Moreover, as practice shows, quite a lot of such places are very close and do not require any business trips. The factories and production - its own romance. Especially if this enterprise produces products that you use yourself. First, you can get acquainted with the technological process, see how an industrial glass-melting furnace or a conveyor for the production of chips looks, for example. Feel a little involved in the release of this product. Then, seeing ads on TV, you can proudly say that I was there. And even more, he introduced a system that now helps in the work of this enterprise. You can also try manufactured products, if it is amenable to the process of digestion. And very often the process of consumption can occur in unlimited quantities: it is prohibited to take out products in your hand or bag, but in the stomach - please. The main thing is that the case does not suffer from overeating.

In general, the issue of food projects often stands out in a separate story. Food and engineer - things closely related. Setting up equipment on an empty stomach is not in the “configuration guide”. Therefore, in addition to exploring new places, the engineer has the opportunity to explore the gastronomic features of various companies. And it is especially nice if the food is tasty and cheap (in all sorts of government institutions, you understand ...). If absolutely cheap, i.e. for free, so you can go there the next day. To check that the bags run where they need to, and the processes serve the one who needs it.

So even without being on a business trip, you can have a great time, combining business with pleasure. And the equipment set up, and to visit a new place. There are so many interesting things around us.