Aloha, Oceanic Cable

Just got a call from the Chairman that Oceanic Cable is in the midst of a massive FAIL. Consumer internet access is down, their web site is non-responsive, and their 800 numbers don’t work.

A cable company having trouble isn’t normally news, but when that one provider dominates an entire state it’s a big deal. Tweets started trickling in 50 minutes ago, and now they’re starting to flow in.

If you provide a service that people find mission-critical, having an external site (hosted by a different hosting company!) that monitors status is mandatory. Whether it’s a site like status.oceanic.com, or just a freakin’ Twitter account. If you wait for a crisis to establish the line of communication, it’s already too late because no one will no where to find it.

Merry Christmas, Hawaiian Telecom’s advertising agency—you just had a new campaign dropped in your lap.