Modem pooling increases reliability at ADP.

In today's tough economic times, many Americans live for their paychecks. If the check does not appear on the desk on its appointed day, employees begin to wonder what the holdup is. Ordinarily, few people wonder about the technology that generates these valued checks that pay the bills every day, unless of course the check is missing.

The number of companies turning to outside sources to provide easy, efficient and quick payroll processing is increasing as data processing capabilities evolve. Companies across the United States rely on advanced data communications capabilities found in such companies as Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Employer Services Division, which is known for providing payroll services and a host of other services to its customers nationwide.

Advanced data communications technologies--such as modem pooling and remote network management from a centralized location--ensure ADP 100% availability and minimize the need for field service technicians. This performance has helped to increase ADP's PC/Payroll client base by 20% annually.

The ADP payroll application uses a simple yet diverse modem pooling Communications Systems Division. The system consist of 48 ADP regional payroll offices strategically located around the U.S. Regional payroll offices are monitored through NEC's I-Chassis systems located at each regional office.

ADP customers are able to dial up and transmit payroll data for ADP to process through modem pools with ADP's PC/Payroll software. The ADP customer can utilize any modem at any speed (from 300 b/s to 9,600 b/s). Customers then log onto the ADP mainframe system through ADP's PC/Payroll software and transmit payroll data.

This process inputs ADP customers' payroll information into ADP's system and can output client reports, check registers and other pertinent payroll data when the client dials in for the information. Modem pooling also enables check printing.

ADP processing sites may have one or more I-Chassis set up in a modem pooling environment. The analog lines feeding the modem pool at any site are set up in hunt groups, which are large groups of circuits served by one number called the pilot number. This process is transparent to the user but serves as an efficient network management tool. A hunt group can be within one chassis (up to 32 modems per chassis) or span multiple chassis. A network of up to 504 modems or data service units/channel service units can appear as one entity.

When used for trouble shooting purposes, as at ADP, and I-Chassis does not need to be networked. The Intelligent Chassis Management System (ICMS) simply dials out through the mast unit at the Network Control Center in Roseland, N.J., and dynamically connects regional payroll offices, making them appear as local nodes on the network.

This allows ADP to have isolated modem pools working independently of each other at each payroll processing site and is a cost-effective means of managing remote sites.

Network management

Network availability is critical to the success of ADP. When a customer dials in to send or receive payroll information, the network must be accessible 100% of the time. With highly centralized support for multiple remote, regional payroll offices, ADP looked for a network management system that was efficient and cost effective.

ICMS allows ADP to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to network management. ADP's network is considerably more efficient to manage now and ultimately means improved customer service. As a result, ADP has not had to dispatch a field service technician for PC/Payroll in a year.

Should ADP detect a problem in a regional payroll office, the Network Control Center staff in Roseland use ICMS to dial the remote site chassis system to diagnose and resolve the problem. In most cases this happens before the customer knows a problem exists. The specialist can place modems in or out of service, run local or remote tests on the modems, reconfigure units and even gather statistical data on a particular hunt group, chassis or modem.

The unit shows the specialist information on the speed of the connection, the error correction method being used, the compression method being used and connect times.