My job at Fonestar is as a programmer. I work on the necessary developments in the software of the AIP-GO, ZSM-GO and AIP-GATE. We make use of different programming languages that are adapted to the needs of the moment. It is sometimes a bit arduous work but in general it is rewarding because you collaborate in the operation of an exciting system such as the AIP and ZSM ranges.

What I like most about my job is that every day you face a different problem. As each development focuses on a different part of the application, every day you encounter different pieces of code and different bugs that mean that each solution has to be adapted to a specific situation. This way you never get bored and the work always requires some originality.

When it comes to implementing and testing solutions, good communication with the rest of the team is key. Both when defining the development path and during the course of development, it is crucial to be clear about the objective to be pursued, in order to offer a solution as quickly as possible that is durable and reliable. There is no point in working hard on something that does not completely fix the bug. That is why it is vitally important to understand the customer’s needs as well as the vision that the rest of the team has of the solution to be provided.

It is difficult to establish a clear pattern of the different issues we face. Sometimes the problems are caused by a misunderstanding of the system on the part of the customer, sometimes the customer detects a fault that was previously unknown to us, in which case the most important thing is to gather the necessary information to reproduce the error in our test lab, understand its origin and develop a solution. But as I said at the beginning, the day-to-day challenges are very different in nature and it is difficult to group them into a category or a series of categories.

When working with other professionals, it is very important to emphasise proper communication. When working together with another person, it is essential to understand the other professional’s point of view, be it a colleague or a client, and to make an effort to propose a solution as clearly as possible. This is the only way to get everyone involved in a development to give their best and to bring the work at hand to a successful conclusion.

Normally, communication with the client takes place by telephone. After a call to the company a person from our department helps them with the problem at hand. In most cases the problem is solved at the end of the call, but in other cases, when it is something more fundamental, the development team studies the case and a solution is taken forward so that this error does not happen again to the customer who has called or to any other customer in the future.

I remember when I had to get the AIP-GATE to recognise the AIP-IO sensors. Both devices are developed by the R&D department. Despite this, shortly after joining Fonestar, the AIP-GATE was not able to process the information that the AIP-IO sent every time a sensor underwent a change in its status. The challenge was important because until that moment I had never worked with a code that worked inside our equipment, consequently, to the complexity of the software of the device I had to add the fact that I had to familiarise myself with the usual use of the terminal of the equipment and the operating system that it houses. Although it was not an easy task, I remember that this development gave me a lot of learning as well as the satisfaction of being able to carry it out successfully.

The pace of innovation in technology today is dizzying. Very often new products come to market that can quickly change the way we do things. Keeping abreast of news in the latest technologies – most especially in artificial intelligence – is crucial. I am fortunate to be surrounded by colleagues with technological concerns, which allows me to get a more complete view of these advances than can be obtained by consulting news on the internet. Fonestar is also committed to training its employees and frequently offers courses and talks with experts in various fields that provide you with valuable information on new developments that have just come onto the market.

The best advice that can be given is that of perseverance and hard work. Working with audio over IP solutions can be approached from different points, such as hardware design or the development of the embedded software that runs on the equipment, therefore each professional must know many aspects of their technical side, for this it is necessary to be passionate about your particular field and strive every day to know a little more and know a little better the tools you have at your disposal.