Susan Gordon, Business Reporter

Richard Pardy says JACS equipment is so old that some of the parts are no longer manufactured. - File

The quality problems being experienced by Flow's cable clients is an inherited problem, according to the company's top executive, who says the problem is linked to "very old" equipment acquired in its buyout of several small operators.

Richard Pardy, CEO of Columbus Communications, operating as Flow in Jamaica, said one of its most problematic purchases has been the former Jamaica Amalgamated Cable Systems Limited (JACS), acquired six months ago.

"One of the challenges we face with JACS is that it's an old system," said Pardy. "When we bought JACS, it was like buying an old ladder, which comes with the old ladder curse," he told Wednesday Business.

Portmore service

JACS provided cable service to Portmore, where it is based, as well as Spanish Town, both in St. Catherine.

Last September, when Flow acquired JACS, it promised to introduce its triple play on a phase-by-phase basis to JACS' customers and to use the existing equipment in the interim.

"The reality is we are building a brand new network out there," said Pardy. It will take another four to five months to totally revamp the system, according to Pardy, who said the system was so old that some of its components were no longer manufactured.

"JACS is one of the problems we have, but Rome wasn't built in a day. I think we are getting there and doing everything we can," he said.

Still, Pardy said the system was far improved.

But it is complications like these, plus a need to integrate the operations of the seven - Entertainment Systems would have been the eighth - acquisitions into the Flow network that have pushed the company to invest in tracking software.

Improving back-office operations

Flow is spending US$500,000 (J$36 million) on technology from Scorecard Systems Incorporated to track company response to customer needs, and to improve back-office operations.

Flow will be implementing Scorecard's Subscriber Analysis Application, Commission System and Revenue Usage and Trouble Ticket Analysis reporting modules, designed for cable, broadband and telecommunications companies.

Though Flow/JACS subscribers have complained about being without service for an entire weekend at one stage, Pardy said that most of Flow's technical problems are sorted out in a day.

Scorecard, he added, is a complement to the current systems.

"We are continually buying software," he said.

susan.gordon@gleanerjm.com