Temperature@lert Blog - USB & WiFi Temperature Monitoring with Email Alerts

Introducing Our WiFi Edition Remote Temperature Monitoring Device (TM-WIFI20)

Good Friday everyone!

While this is not a "release" of a new device, we thought it might be helpful to create a video talking about the highlights of our Wifi Temperature Monitoring device.  A lot of customers have called us and asked us about the differences between Temperature@lert's cellular device, wifi device, and usb device.  While some of these differences are readily apparent, we realize that other features are not apparent.  To help you better understand our products, we made a video describing in detail each nuance of the device so as to give you as much detail about the device as we possibly could. 

We hope you enjoy the video. If you have any questions or comments, please comment on the blog or contact us at info@temperaturealert.com

Transcript:

Hi, I am Harry Schechter with Temperature@lert and I am here to introduce you to our WiFi Edition Product. I will open up the box and walk you through the product.  Here is the Quick Start Guide.  Our WiFi Temperature Sensor will connect to any Wireless network or wired Ethernet Network and take temperature readings from the included temperature sensor. The device will log the readings, evaluate the temperature, and if it gets too hot or too cold it will send yo uan email.  It will also send you a status email at midnight every day giving you the high, low, and average temperatures.

The Temperature@lert WiFi Unit has several advantages over our USB unit.  For starters, this device does not require a PC to be left on.  The only requirement for the Temperature@lert WiFi Edition are internet access through WiFi or Ethernet and power,  We recommend connecting the WiFi edition to battery backup in case of a power outage.  Another reason the Temperature@lert WiFi edition is so popular with our customers is because it runs Linux! That's right..LINUX! This tiny little device has its own operating system and makes it infinitely customizable.  You can SSH in and install and remove packages that you like, write your own programs (in C, Ruby, or Perl), it has its own web server, and essentially is fully customizable.

Temperature@lert WiFi Edition has many advanced features to support your network operations. For instance, if you run SNMP, Temperature@lert WiFi will integrate with your existing SNMP infrastructure. In addition Temperature@lert WiFi Edition supports SSL and TLS for SMTP authentication.

We Were Mentioned in Processor Magazine!

Working hard on tasks in the T@ office requires focus and attention.  Sometimes it requires so much attention/focus that we naturally put up blinders to ignore all the outside noise that may interrupt us. 

Now I know you are thinking, what does this at all have to do with Processor Magazine? Well, we were so busy focusing on the task at hand that one of our customers had to tell us that we were mentioned in their magazine! Hoorah! Thank you Dan for pointing this out to us!

The mention in their magazine is pretty exciting.  I know it's just a product/benefit feature page that talks about our remote monitoring capabilites (and our ability to monitor temperatures outside of server racks) , but it is nice to see that T@'s hard work is coming to fruition. 

It feels good to have such a great customer base that is always on the lookout for mentions of our company.  If you see any other mentions of us on the web, please email us or post a comment on our blog! We can't keep up with all these media sources ourselves!

YAY!

Common Question of the Week #2 - Does Temperature@lert USB Edition Run on Vista? Server 2008? Windows 7?

Does Temperature@lert USB Edition Run on Vista? Server 2008? Windows 7?

Yes, yes, and yes! Temperature@lert runs on all current flavors of Windows from XP onward.

The best way to install Temperature@lert is to grab the latest drivers and software from the downloads section of our support site.

Screenshots of our new USB software

Speaking of our USB device, have you seen our new screenshots of the upcoming software release? We have lots of good updates coming in the near future for our USB device.  Click here to check out information on our updates as well as our screenshots!

Temperature@lert's Best Technical Support Ever!

How do you provide the best technical support ever?* Read on and find out how we provide the best technical support ever for our USB and wireless temperature monitoring products without outsourcing a single inquiry.

You’ve heard the old saying “sales is everybody’s job”? At Temperature@lert, technical support is everybody’s job. Considering we’re staffed primarily by engineers who design and build our products, when you contact Temperature@lert technical support for help with your USB or wireless temperature monitor, you’re connected to a talented Temperature@lert team member who can resolve your issue immediately.

Why do we do this? First, if there is a bug or other software issue when the engineers see enough inquiries related to it they’re more apt to go fix it rather than deal with the same inquiry again and again. Second, we’ve done 80% of the support work before you’ve even received your Temperature@lert product by making our USB and WiFi temperature monitors very easy to use. That single fact cuts our technical support inquires to a trickle. Now that we’re down to a trickle, it doesn’t make sense for us to hire, train and dedicate a full time staff for technical support. Nor does justify turning on an overseas call center (that actually ends up causing more problems than it solves).

When you need technical support from Temperature@lert, just go to http://www.temperaturealert.com/support to read about common issues or contact us. We’re get right back to you. If you like, we can even perform a remote control screen share and troubleshoot your product in real time over the internet. That’s how you deliver the best technical support ever.

Welcome the newest addition to our Temperature@lert team, Patrick Hereford!

Please welcome the newest member of the Temperature@lert team, Patrick Hereford.

Born and raised in Laredo, TX, Patrick ventured out of Texas to Boston, MA to attend MIT (Class of 2005) and later received his MBA from Boston College in 2008.  Patrick loves marketing and enjoys getting to know customers.  He has performed several market research initiatives to gain insight into Temperature@lert’s customers’ needs across varying industries. In addition to Patrick’s gift of being able to discover unmet customer needs, patrick also has a passion for search engine optimization and social media. If you haven’t received a call, Tweet, or TXT from Patrick yet, he’s looking to hear from you. 

In addition to Patrick’s online pursuits, he is an avid brew master and baker. His favorite temperature is a balmy 72 degrees with a hint of airy wind. We’re glad Patrick’s decided to call Temperature@lert home. Welcome aboard. Now, let’s talk about “Beer and Cookie” Fridays at the office!

Our Newest Cellular Device, TM-CELL200, Has Some Customer Inspired Features!

Good morning everybody!  I hope now that we are two days removed from the Super Bowl that everyone has lost their sluggishness and are back on the road to productivity :-)!

We here at Temperature@lert just recently released our TM-CELL200 device without going too much into detail about how it is different than TM-CELL100 or why you would even want to purchase a TM-CELL200.  Well this post will hopefully answer your questions and provide insight as to why we have added these new features.

Lockable Temperature Sensor Probes

There has been many a email, phone call, or conversation that always ends with "my probe somehow fell out of the jack". We have recognized this problem and have found a solution that will hopefully prevent various actions (such as tripping, dragging, or throwing) from disconnecting the sensor from the device.

Signal Strength Indicator

No matter what network you are on, our device will tell you exactly what the signal strength is for any location. Simply press the power button for 3 seconds and let the lights on the device tell you what exactly is going on at a specific location.  The more lights shown, the greater the cellular signal in that location. 

Many more features!

Instead of me typing and typing, I will just let you watch the video that shows the newest features of the device.  Hope you enjoy it!!

Transcript:

Hi, I am Harry Schechter with Temperature@lert and I am here to demonstrate some of the new features of our new cellular edition device. Temperature@lert cellular device sends temperature from this probe to our temperature monitoring system on the internet. If the temperature goes too high or too low, you will receive and email, a phone call, or a text message.
Temperature@lert cellular edition has several different modes. To begin, all you have to do to turn the device on is plug it in. The device has a special mode that will show you exactly where to place the device based on signal strength. To activate this mode, hold the power button for 3 seconds and release it. You will see the status lights blink. This mode can be used to show you where best to place your device. As you can see, it takes a few moments to show you the signal strength. Since we have 3 lights shown, we have a signal strength of 75%.
The cellular device requires very low signal to operate. Combine that with our high gain antenna and the device will work where most cell phones wont. That is because cell phones have very small antennas. To exit the mode, you can press the power button or let the device turn itself off in 10 mintes.
Let's take a closer look at the device itself. The small form factor allows it to fit anywhere. The antenna can be swiveled which allows you to put it on tables, walls, etc. Look at the 2 locking jacks. These locking jacks accept our digital temperature sensors. At the moment we have 2 locking jacks, but only allow for temperature to be monitored. The power allows you to plug the device in to wall power. When it is not plugged in to wall power, the rechargable batter can last as long as 2 weeks.
Thanks for watching!

Common Question of the Week - How Do I Know You Will Be In Business in the Next 5 Years?

When we’re first engaging a new customer – especially on multi hundred unit wireless temperature sensor mesh network installs – we’re often asked, “How will I know you guys will be in business in 5 years?” Given today’s economic realities, I ask the same question of any vendor I’m about to purchase services from.

The typical answers you hear today are merely an attempt to quell you into a state of false comfort. E.g., “We’re too big to fail” (we’re not) or “we’ll be acquired before we close the doors” (in this market? Unlikely) or we’re still profitable or we’re still growing and scaling up (actually, those last two are true for Temperature@lert).

What you really should be asking me if you want to know if Temperature@lert will be around in 5 years is how quickly can you scale down? Temperature@lert will be around in 5 years for this single reason: We run an on demand business. Every aspect of this company scales up and down as customer demand necessitates. For example, our supporting IT infrastructure runs in the cloud. As load increases, we simply spill over onto more physical machines. Of course, our bills go up, but they do so in proportion to our income. In addition, we do not employ a sales force. Sales are driven by a scalable pay per click advertising model plus a vast network of resellers. For the talented folks we do hire, ramp up time for new US-based support engineers in our Cambridge, MA headquarters is considerably low because our high performance temperature monitoring products are the simplest to operate. I don’t want to give away all of our secrets for running an on demand business. So, I’ll stop there.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re certainly not planning to scale down – we just like to be prepared for everything. After all, isn’t that why you’re considering Temperature@lert in the first place?

Releasing our newest cellular product, the TM-CELL200!

Welcome everyone! Boy, do we have a treat for you today. Today is the official launch of our new TM-CELL200 product. This product has many new features from that of its predecessor, the TM-CELL100.  Here is a quick bullet-point list as to what this device can do:

• Lockable temperature probes.
• High-gain antennae.
• ZERO installation (No SMTP, No IP adresses, No SNMP setup required!)
• Cellular Signal Strength Checker
• Long lasting battery that recharges each time the unit is plugged into AC power.
• HealthCheck  will alert you if your device has stopped working or stopped sending data.
• Web interface that shows you graphs and geolocations of each device.
• Email, SMS, Phone call alerting if temperature is out of user's range.
• And many many more!

Here is a newly minted video of Harry showing off the new device.  Enjoy!

Transcript:

Hi I am Harry Schechter with Temperature@lert. I am here to show you our new Temperature@lert cellular device, the TM-CELL200. This device monitors the temperature from this temperature probe, sends it to our monitoring center online and can email you, text you, or call you if your temperature goes too high or too low.

The nice thing about this device is that there is practically zero installation required. There are no IP addresses to configure, no SMTP servers, no SNMP servers, no web site configuration. The only thing you need to do to set up TM-CELL200 is to connect the temperature sensor, then connect it to AC power.

As soon as you connect it to power, the status light starts blinking. That means it is powered on. After a few more seconds, it will register itself on the cellular network. As soon as the status light starts blinking rapidly, that means it is transmitting data. The battery light is blinking because that indicates that the battery is being charged. The battery will last for up to 2 weeks without any AC power. The next light indicates a low wireless signal or a low battery. The unit will still operate with the warning light flashing. The failure light will light up if there is a problem reading the temperature sensor or if there is a problem communicating over the cellular network. You can see the status light has gone back to a slow blink. The warning and failure lights are not lit up.

If you like this video let us know. If you dont like this video, please let us know. Please contact us at info@temperaturealert.com.

Oh My Server, How I have missed thee!

Happy new year everybody!

I hope everyone enjoyed this holiday season.  While this set of holidays comes to a close, it is time to start working feverishly to avoid the holiday haze.  In addition, it is time to begin working on our New Year's resolutions. 

Do any of your resolutions involve your personal or work server? If you are an IT person, the server should definitely be in your top 10 priorities for 2010.  One of the most important things you can do to lower costs for yourself or company is to perform basic maintenance on your server.  There are 2 types of basic maintenance: 1) Software and 2) Physical.  While ensuring that all service packs, upgrades, and server health monitoring packages are running, it is also of utmost importance to insure that the environment surrounding the server maintains cleanliness.  Without cleanliness, dirt and other particulate matter can lead to various hardware failures.  

The best way to combat dirt is to create a maintenance schedule (weekly, monthly, etc).  The frequency of the schedule should be determine by the amount of foot traffic going in and out of your server room.  As people enter and leave the server, much particulate matter (such as dirt and dust) can be left from shoes, hair, etc.  Here is a basic list of items that should be checked in the server room:

1. Check to make sure that the floor is clean and swept.
2. Check all server fans to insure that no dirt or dust is blocking the flow of hot air.
3. Check the internal temperature of the server and the external temperature of the room.
4. Check the ceiling for any signs of mold or cracks (just to make sure no burst pipes or water will enter the server room).

That is a basic list of the 4 most important things to check while maintaining your server. The physical health of your server will 100% extend its life and is well-worth the 20 - 30 minutes a week (or month) you spend performing these tasks. 

If you think I may have missed some glaring physical maintenance task that should be on the list, post a comment :-D.

2010, Here We Come!

As Christmas comes and goes, so does most of the nasty weather that hit the northeast.  While the holiday season is still in full swing over here at Temperature@lert, I thought I would do a post about resolutions and the new year.  New Year's Eve is approaching quickly and now is the time to get in those last minute resolutions.  Here is a list of 4 Temperature@lert resolutions for good ole 2010.

1) Spread the Temperature Cheer!
We here believe that temperature monitoring should be fun!  We understand that monitoring temperature can be troublesome, even worrisome.  All the advice we can offer (minus the help of our great, immediate technical support) is that you should let the device do it's job so you can sleep better at night. 

2) 2010 Is The Year Of Our Customer!
2009 was a great year for us at T@ thanks to all of our wonderful and great customers.  To show you our appreciation, we promise to continue serving you and protecting your equipment like we always have.  And as always, please feel free to drop us a line if you would like to see any other additional features in our upcoming software launches!  We already have a rather large customer feature request list, but it is always good to see more information pour through our channels.

3) New Temperature Alert releases and upgrades, oh my!
2010 is definitely going to be special for us and for our customers.  We have a very detailed plan on releasing new products, upgrading old products, and bringing the best (and affordable) solutions to our customers.  Please check in often to make sure you have the latest and greatest T@ has to offer.

While these 3 resolutions seem light and jolly, we plan on implementing them with all our might and effort.

What are your resolutions for the upcoming year?