llied Analogic Inc. (AALogic), a Texas-based company founded eight years ago, manufactures and distributes modem data analysis equipment worldwide. For those unfamiliar with a modem data analyzer, it's exactly what it sounds like.

If a POS terminal is not transmitting data properly, the source of the problem could be any number of areas: It might be with the phone line, the phone company, the terminal itself, the message transmitted or it could be something else altogether. Plugging an AALogic test device into any dial terminal allows the monitoring of modem communications and diagnosis of the issue.

"Our products help resolve issues quickly, reducing costs," said Wayne Morris, Vice President of Marketing.

A Unique Product

AALogic's modem data analyzers are unique in the industry because they make the actual data on the line available for viewing and analysis. For example, troubleshooters can visually see the data communicated between a host and POS terminal or ATM.

"Our products are the only devices available that provide a view of what is actually going on, on the phone line," Morris said. The device does not route data through software or other "translating" devices, so the data are clear and unaltered.

"This saves time by isolating the problem, host, terminal or line, and moving on to the resolutions and verification," he said.

Seeing the communication enables support technicians to identify and correct problems including programming and dialing errors and timing issues. It allows troubleshooters to get to the root of the issue and diagnose it quickly and correctly, which saves merchants, processors and developers time and money.

A Valuable Development Tool

AALogic said that its products not only help in diagnosing problems with existing applications, they also help develop new applications. The company offers custom engineering services specializing in telecommunications and analog to digital applications.

"We can work with the customer from concept to production," Morris said. "Our main focus is electronic designs in telecommunications."

He also said that working with AALogic can mean fewer costs to developing a new solution, better service through faster problem resolution and fewer latent defects.

Those benefits are the reasons POS terminal and ATM development teams use AALogic's products. Since the idea behind the products is to be able to quickly and correctly diagnose problems, the devices also serve as valuable tools for quality assurance departments and customer support teams.

With these tools, developers and support teams can debug applications, validate phone line connections, measure signal levels, identify noisy environments and decode phone numbers. Two of AALogic's products are the MLT2400A and the ADM2400. The company designed them to make developers and service personnel more efficient in resolving common communications problems.

"Many quality departments use the output of the MLT2400A and the ADM2400 as records of satisfactory completion of test scripts," Morris said. "The PC software can save information to hard drives and print data results as needed." The ADM2400 is a portable version of the MLT2400A. It does not require a PC and features an LCD screen, keypads and internal memory storage. A PC software package and USB interface allow the ADM2400 to upload stored data and conduct live testing.

A Unique MLS Opportunity

Since no similar products are on the market, AALogic has no competition. Although the company does not currently sell its products through ISOs/merchant level salespeople (MLSs), it does have a reseller/distributor program, and welcomes reseller inquiries. What better product to resell than one with no competition!

AALogic's products are attractive products to sell not only because they have a corner on the market but also because the alternative to not using them is so unappealing.

Users without an AALogic solution are at the mercy of whomever they contact to diagnose a problem, and this is not always an ideal situation.

For example, if the host diagnoses the problem, and the problem is within the host, it might not be diagnosed accurately and quickly.

"The problem is usually with the host, the terminal or the phone company, and many times those entities are pointing the finger at each other," Morris said.

AALogic's products make the process easier, faster and more efficient. AALogic offers free technical support, available via phone and e-mail, to all customers if needed.

The equipment is also simple to set up: It's plugged in like a phone into a phone jack.