A LIFE WELL-LIVED...

SAUDI ARABIA HERE I COME Data Centre - Markaj Al-Maalumat!

A two-level concrete building, almost entirely surrounded by other MOPTT office buildings, located at Mursalat in Central Riyadh. The Data Centre's day-to-day operation was done by Bell Canada (Canada's AT&T after the divestiture). But it was Dong-Ah's task to provide us with decent accomodation and shuttle service between the Data Centre and our housing. After hours of orientations and formalities, we were then each assigned to different Applications. Edwin Montesclaros and I were assigned to Computerized Fault Reporting Analysis System (CFRAS), with Raj Amerthanayagam, a Tamil Sri Lankan-Canadian. During my "tour of duty", I've had the opportunity to work in multiple facets of operation of a state-owned telephone service provider: CFRAS - Computerized Fault Reporting Analysis System; EOAS - Engineering Orders Administration System; EIS - Exchange Investment Systen; VADS - Validation, Accounting & Distribution System; All were written in COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language). This Data Centre (not to be confused with AI Data Centers), in my opinion, must have been among the most modern & advanced in the world. IBM Mainframe, OS/MVS, MVS/XA... High-speed laser printer. and whatever IBM sells to Sauditel, Sauditel buys.