Digita’s service operations centre (SOC) is always awake. In addition to solid expertise, the SOC employs the industry’s best technologies and practices to ensure effective and reliable real-time monitoring. 

Tero Hänninen, Director of Digita’s SOC, explains what makes the centre unique and what really goes on behind the scenes. Hänninen has been with Digita for 13 years, during which time he has worked as a network administrator, operator and production manager, among other duties. For the past three years, he has been responsible for the operations of the SOC.  

“My job description is quite varied. I am responsible for the entire centre’s operations, including customer meetings, TV production management, reporting and supervisory tasks. I work as the supervisor of a team of 25,” Hänninen says.  

The SOC is at work when the rest of Finland is asleep  

Digita’s SOC has employees working on site around the clock, every day of the year. In the control room, which serves as the nerve centre of the SOC, Digita’s employees monitor the status of services and networks. If a fault is detected in a network, measures are taken immediately to notify the client and repair the error.   

Networks monitored at the SOC include Finland’s nationwide terrestrial TV, radio and IoT networks and, most recently, private networks. In addition, the SOC produces versions of numerous TV and radio channels for cable TV, IPTV and online distribution.  

“In other words, we ensure that broadcast networks work reliably. By being on readiness 24/7, we are able to respond quickly to any disruptions and take corrective action on short notice,” says Hänninen.  

He also points out the complexity of the broadcasting network and that the risk of equipment breakdown is always present.  

“Still, the transmission network consists of thousands of devices that are all monitored at the SOC. With so many pieces of equipment, breakdowns are unavoidable. In the event of a fault, we are immediately ready to respond and take the necessary measures,” says Hänninen. 

Strict requirements guide the work of the SOC 

In the broadcasting industry, availability requirements are extremely high, and these same requirements guide Digita’s daily work. For example, it is exceedingly rare for a TV broadcast to fail to air for one reason or another, and this is thanks to the SOC. If issues occur, Digita’s experts are instantly on the problem.  

However, the SOC is much more than just a 24/7 control room. The SOC’s operations also include Digita Info, which provides technical service to consumers. Here you can read more about the people and services of Digita’s SOC. Read the full SOC team introduction here.