[asterisk-users] Beware of DIDX & Super Technologies

Wed Jan 14 17:34:58 CST 2009

More than just support - also core engineering.

Dovid Bender wrote:

> I think their issue is that they built their business around cheap support 
> in Asain countries which is a hit or miss. I know that when I pointed out an 
> obvious flaw that made them look stupid I got email that I had a $20.00 
> credit with them. I never mentioned it because I did not think it was 
> realavent. It seems that they try to go around their issues instead of 
> dealing with them. It amazes me that they are still around.
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Alex Balashov" <abalashov at evaristesys.com>
> To: "Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion" 
> <asterisk-users at lists.digium.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 9:25 AM
> Subject: Re: [asterisk-users] Beware of DIDX & Super Technologies
> 
> 
>> I also get the impression that this is a well-beaten horse, as Google
>> queries such as this one tend to reveal:
>>
>>     site:lists.digium.com didx
>>
>>
>> Alex Balashov wrote:
>>
>>> Never dealt with them personally, but I have been made to understand by
>>> everyone else I know who has in no uncertain terms that:
>>>
>>> - Technical, billing and business-related issues abound.
>>>
>>> - Support is pretty much a pointless waste of time as you suggest.
>>>
>>> - Basic features don't work reliably.
>>>
>>> - Backend provisioning is broken;  numbers no longer designated as
>>> active continue to be tested by their system.
>>>
>>> - Billing continues despite cancellation.
>>>
>>> - A substantial language and timezone barrier is a big impediment to
>>> basic communication about routine service issues and basic customer care.
>>>
>>> #1 complaint about DIDX specifically is that nobody that speaks English
>>> coherently or understands SIP issues on a more than passing level can be
>>> reached.
>>>
>>> That's just what I've heard from the acquaintances I have that deal with
>>> DIDX and other SuperTec entities;  I cannot claim to know independently,
>>> so I can't personally endorse their opinions.  And the people I am
>>> thinking of aren't really involved in Asterisk or on these lists, and so
>>> they are not here to speak for themselves.  So please take that as a
>>> qualification.
>>>
>>> Super Technologies has a marketing and product presence under a variety
>>> of other domain names and brands, all commonly united by Gratuitous
>>> Capitalisation of Nouns, abundant error's in basic grammar, punctuation,
>>> structure, and usage of English generally.
>>>
>>> An additionally common feature is bizarre and eccentric whitespace
>>> between words and terminating punctuation. ("Want to Use Voip ?")
>>>
>>> www.virtualphoneline.com
>>> www.superivr.net
>>> www.carrierx.org
>>> www.phone2net.com
>>> www.super-phone.com
>>> www.ip-pabx.com
>>> www.call-x.com
>>> www.superpbx.net
>>> www.superphonedirect.com
>>> www.superphonewireless.com
>>> www.schoolmanagementsystem.net
>>> www.healthmanagementsystem.net
>>> www.superfax.com
>>> www.groovytel.com
>>>
>>> ... and doubtless a number of others.
>>>
>>> Andrew Joakimsen wrote:
>>>
>>>> I assume most people here know what a joke DIDX is -- but in case you
>>>> didn't already know, please avoid these people.
>>>>
>>>> Basic features of their service don't work, their tech support
>>>> refuses/drags their feet to fix them for a month and if you post
>>>> publicly about them, they terminate your service.
>>>>
>>>> Instead of investing their effort in reading mailinglists to terminate
>>>> customers maybe they should invest their efforts in fixing the issues
>>>> with their service first.
>>>>
>>>> This is all despite the fact that they don't control the numbers they
>>>> sell -- that I understood and can deal with (it never was an issue
>>>> since most of the numbers we had with them were from Global Crossing
>>>> -- "Vendor # 701534" in their system)
>>>>
>>>> Hell, I was planning to get off their service anyways, if they would
>>>> have allowed me time to properly port out the numbers, they would not
>>>> have created an enemy for life.
>>>>
>>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>>> From: Rehan Allah Wala <rehan at supertec.com>
>>>> Date: Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 13:56
>>>> Subject: Your DIDX account
>>>> To: Andrew Joakimsen <joakimsen at gmail.com>
>>>> Cc: "muneeb @ supertec. com" <muneeb at supertec.com>, suzanne at supertec.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Thank You for this email Andrew,
>>>>
>>>> Please move your numbers in next 3 days somewhere, we will close your
>>>> account as per
>>>> your request on Tuesday.
>>>>
>>>> Rehan
>>>>
>>>>> On Sat, Jan 3, 2009 at 13:09, Trixter aka Bret McDanel
>>>>> <trixter at 0xdecafbad.com> wrote:
>>>>>> On Sat, 2009-01-03 at 12:14 -0500, Andrew Joakimsen wrote:
>>>>>>> Can you look at ticket # 702556000194?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> This is very simple:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> apparently it isnt.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Asterisk is down, I am simulating that with the command "stop now,"
>>>>>>> Calls should then go to the failover SIP address, but they do not.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I have been back and forth for weeks with your support and they do 
>>>>>>> not
>>>>>>> figure it out. I am not even sure they understand what I am saying.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> is this related to the below request for a non-profit doing a 
>>>>>> telethon?
>>>>>> If it is I am confused by it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If it isnt, I am unsure what ticket system you refer to.  Additionally 
>>>>>> I
>>>>>> am unsure what your setup is since you havent even provided more
>>>>>> information.  Odds are the equipment that is supposed to do the 
>>>>>> failover
>>>>>> isnt even asterisk.  Further I do not think that its a business list
>>>>>> question (unless you are asking for a consultant to fix your problem
>>>>>> with failover).
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Or was this supposed to be a private email to someone at supertec that
>>>>>> you posted to a public mailing list?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 15:34, Suzanne Bowen <suzanne at supertec.com> 
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>> There is a Northwest Florida organization http://www.linkingarms.org 
>>>>>>>> who
>>>>>>>> wants to have a telethon using open source telephony technologies. 
>>>>>>>> If anyone
>>>>>>>> reading this is interested in talking with the executive director 
>>>>>>>> Kenny
>>>>>>>> about this, please email me OFF the list so we won't bother the list 
>>>>>>>> with
>>>>>>>> further details.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>> You are right, the message was sent to the wrong person. But now that
>>>>> this is out in the open, let me explain:
>>>>>
>>>>> DIDx has an "alternate ring-to" feature. So if our Asterisk server is
>>>>> down, the calls can roll-over elsewhere.
>>>>>
>>>>> This feature is not working. The calls do roll-over, but there is no
>>>>> audio (even using DIDx's own "carrierx.us" proxy) and drop a few
>>>>> seconds later. Testing from a landline, the caller hears a few seconds
>>>>> of silence and then a reorder tone. If we set the "alternate ring-to"
>>>>> proxy as the primary ring-to, it does work. Clearly the issue is on
>>>>> DIDx's end.
>>>>>
>>>>> I conducted my testing by issuing the "stop now" command at the CLI
>>>>> and called the DID number from an AT&T landline phone.
>>>>>
>>>>> I was promised last week this would be looked into, fixed, etc. But no
>>>>> response thusfar. I am going to stop using DIDx as it has been one big
>>>>> headache. On top of this not working, the CDRs on their website are
>>>>> incorrect -- either they have inept programmers or they do absolutely
>>>>> no QA testing on their code -- but they'll gladly sell you a copy for
>>>>> upwards of $20,000.
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> --Bandwidth and Colocation Provided by http://www.api-digital.com--
>>>>>
>>>>> asterisk-biz mailing list
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>>>>
>>>> Rehan Ahmed AllahWala
>>>> Msn/Yahoo/GoogleTalk/Email: Rehan at Rehan.com
>>>> http://www.supertec.com/ - Internet Telephony Solutions
>>>> Http://www.DIDX.net - DID Number Market Place.
>>>> Don't Remember Me ? Visit http://www.Rehan.com
>>>>
>>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>> "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you,
>>>> then you win."
>>>> By Gandhi.
>>>>
>>>> "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live
>>>> forever." - Gandhi
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Alex Balashov
>> Evariste Systems
>> Web    : http://www.evaristesys.com/
>> Tel    : (+1) (678) 954-0670
>> Direct : (+1) (678) 954-0671
>> Mobile : (+1) (678) 237-1775
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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> 
> 
> 
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-- 
Alex Balashov
Evariste Systems
Web    : http://www.evaristesys.com/
Tel    : (+1) (678) 954-0670
Direct : (+1) (678) 954-0671
Mobile : (+1) (678) 237-1775