Lewiston Regional Technical Center Deploys Extricom WLAN
High School Students Implement Wi-Fi System to Support 1500 Users in Grades 7-12
Lewiston, ME, June 26, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Lewiston Regional Technical Center (LRTC), the largest secondary vocational technical center in Maine, has announced the deployment of an enterprise-class Extricom wireless LAN (WLAN). The system will ensure wireless coverage for both Lewiston RTC and the adjoining Lewiston High School. It will provide mobile computing for some 1500 students and faculty, and enable access to a wide variety of online learning and professional development resources.
The Extricom WLAN replaces an older system, based on Apple Airport access points (APs), that wasn’t capable of growing to meet the school’s need for campus-wide coverage and increased user capacity. In a novel twist on the concept of “hands-on” learning, the new WLAN is being deployed by Lewiston RTC students, rather than professional contractors, as part of an ongoing Electrical education program.
Lewiston’s choice of an Extricom WLAN was made after careful scrutiny of several major wireless vendors. “We didn’t just blindly go down the wireless path,” states Howard Holinger, Lewiston Regional Technical Center’s IT Services Manager. “We felt that Extricom’s Channel Blanket architecture was very appealing, and it was forward-looking in terms of application support. Having seamless coverage and mobility anywhere on campus was tremendously important to us, and that’s what sets Extricom apart from competitors such as Cisco or Aruba.”
The Extricom Channel Blanket™ architecture is well-suited to the classroom environment. Densely deployed access points provide reliable, resilient network access and high performance for every user. The Extricom Switch coordinates the APs and eliminates the co-channel interference that reduces the performance of conventional WLAN systems By enabling multiple Channel Blankets, applications with different Quality of Service requirements can be layered onto what are essentially separate wireless networks on dedicated channels coming from the same physical infrastructure.
Using the students to roll out the network has permitted Lewiston to combine a learning experience with a much needed technology infrastructure upgrade. “We used some existing cabling to get a production wireless system up and running within a day or two,” says Holinger. “Our implementation team, however, is all students, who can only work when they’re in class, so we’re taking our time to get the system fully deployed. By the end of the school year, we expect to have robust wireless access throughout the facility.”
Extricom WLAN is particularly attractive to primary/secondary schools due to its simplicity of deployment and maintenance, which helps small IT departments quickly implement and administer an enterprise-class system without requiring wireless expertise, extensive planning, or expensive certifications. “Our core emphasis in the K-12 market has been cost-effective solutions that can handle the user density common in schools,” says Honore LaBourdette, Extricom’s VP of Sales North America. “By giving our education customers wireless infrastructure that will easily support any application they choose, whether now or five years down the road, we are maximizing the value of their IT spend. I think this is critical at a time when school budgets everywhere are feeling the effects of the economic downturn.”
About Extricom
Extricom means enterprise wireless infrastructure that works. Extricom’s award-winning Channel Blanket Architecture delivers better RF coverage across the board while minimizing networking and wireless complexity. Voice, data and video applications are supported by a robust Wireless LAN infrastructure that ensures predictable service and seamless mobility in any environment. Contact us at info@extricom.com or visit www.extricom.com
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The Extricom WLAN replaces an older system, based on Apple Airport access points (APs), that wasn’t capable of growing to meet the school’s need for campus-wide coverage and increased user capacity. In a novel twist on the concept of “hands-on” learning, the new WLAN is being deployed by Lewiston RTC students, rather than professional contractors, as part of an ongoing Electrical education program.
Lewiston’s choice of an Extricom WLAN was made after careful scrutiny of several major wireless vendors. “We didn’t just blindly go down the wireless path,” states Howard Holinger, Lewiston Regional Technical Center’s IT Services Manager. “We felt that Extricom’s Channel Blanket architecture was very appealing, and it was forward-looking in terms of application support. Having seamless coverage and mobility anywhere on campus was tremendously important to us, and that’s what sets Extricom apart from competitors such as Cisco or Aruba.”
The Extricom Channel Blanket™ architecture is well-suited to the classroom environment. Densely deployed access points provide reliable, resilient network access and high performance for every user. The Extricom Switch coordinates the APs and eliminates the co-channel interference that reduces the performance of conventional WLAN systems By enabling multiple Channel Blankets, applications with different Quality of Service requirements can be layered onto what are essentially separate wireless networks on dedicated channels coming from the same physical infrastructure.
Using the students to roll out the network has permitted Lewiston to combine a learning experience with a much needed technology infrastructure upgrade. “We used some existing cabling to get a production wireless system up and running within a day or two,” says Holinger. “Our implementation team, however, is all students, who can only work when they’re in class, so we’re taking our time to get the system fully deployed. By the end of the school year, we expect to have robust wireless access throughout the facility.”
Extricom WLAN is particularly attractive to primary/secondary schools due to its simplicity of deployment and maintenance, which helps small IT departments quickly implement and administer an enterprise-class system without requiring wireless expertise, extensive planning, or expensive certifications. “Our core emphasis in the K-12 market has been cost-effective solutions that can handle the user density common in schools,” says Honore LaBourdette, Extricom’s VP of Sales North America. “By giving our education customers wireless infrastructure that will easily support any application they choose, whether now or five years down the road, we are maximizing the value of their IT spend. I think this is critical at a time when school budgets everywhere are feeling the effects of the economic downturn.”
About Extricom
Extricom means enterprise wireless infrastructure that works. Extricom’s award-winning Channel Blanket Architecture delivers better RF coverage across the board while minimizing networking and wireless complexity. Voice, data and video applications are supported by a robust Wireless LAN infrastructure that ensures predictable service and seamless mobility in any environment. Contact us at info@extricom.com or visit www.extricom.com
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Contact
Extricom
Phil Belanger
212-240-3896
www.extricom.com
Phil Belanger
212-240-3896
www.extricom.com
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