Colubris Networks, a leader in intelligent, multiservice wireless LAN (WLAN) systems, today announced the addition of Fort Wayne, Indiana’s second largest metropolitan area, to its growing list of Wi-Fi hot zone deployments. Fort Wayne’s residents, businesses and government organizations now enjoy community-wide broadband wireless network access that significantly advances the local economy and public safety services.
The Indiana Data Center, a business-class Internet service provider serving Northeast Indiana, deployed the Colubris gear. Fort Wayne joins Boston, Washington D.C. and Worcester, Mass. as cities that have deployed Colubris’ award winning WLAN systems to provide broadband wireless network services.
Community-wide Wi-Fi access is a vital part of Fort Wayne Mayor Graham Richard’s Technology Initiative, which lessens the digital divide by making wireless Internet services widely available in historically underserved communities. Fort Wayne’s deployment has garnered national accolades including a ranking by Intel as a top 100 “Most Unwired City” for wireless Internet accessibility. Mayor Richard has also been recognized by Government Technology magazine as one of the 2005 “Top Doers, Dreamers and Drivers” to make significant contributions to the digital government movement for his work in reshaping and advancing technology within the region. Already recognized by Inc.com as one of the 50 best small metropolitan areas for entrepreneurial business, Fort Wayne can now better serve its business community with advanced communications and government service options so vital in today’s economy.
“Wireless Internet access is as important to economic growth and development as the effective delivery of critical public utilities such as water, sewage and power,” said Stan Adams, founder and owner of the Indiana Data Center. “It enables Fort Wayne and surrounding communities to enjoy benefits similar to those offered in larger cities both nationally and internationally. Colubris delivers the full package of ‘best-in-class’ products we need to meet the goals of this initiative.”
After exploring a wide range of options, the Indiana Data Center selected the Colubris Intelligent MultiService System (CIMS) to deliver wireless Internet access in Fort Wayne and 25 other surrounding communities throughout Northeast Indiana. CIMS features a wireless distribution system (WDS) mode that enabled the Indiana Data Center to deliver Wi-Fi services throughout the communities while minimizing costs. Unlike switch-based competitors that rely on a wired Ethernet connection for deployment, Colubris’ WDS uses dual-radio access points to connect wirelessly to the network. The combination of Colubris’ InReach™ MultiService Access Points and InMotion™ MultiService Controllers eliminated the need for the additional costly backhaul equipment and circuits required by other vendors’ equipment.
Installation of equipment in the outdoors was an absolute must for the success of this project. In Fort Wayne, to keep the installation as unobtrusive as possible, Colubris outdoor-rated access points were deployed on various existing structures, including eight water towers, the rooftops of four hospitals and on Indiana Data Center installed towers, at many of the city’s fire stations.
“We’re pleased to have Indiana Data Center use Colubris equipment on this unique deployment,” said Chris Koeneman, vice president worldwide sales, Colubris Networks. “I grew up in the Fort Wayne area so I am especially proud that Colubris played an important role in bringing the many wonderful new WiFi-enabled benefits to residents and organizations in the city and the surrounding area.”
As a result of the community-wide nature of the wireless deployment, city government, police officials, businesses and residents are enjoying a wide range of benefits. A key public safety benefit is that Fort Wayne police officers no longer have to commute to and from the station to log reports and access information – a savings they estimate at over 100 man-hours every day. Since officers can stay in their assigned areas longer, crime scene response time is faster and officers can access critical information throughout the city. For example, an officer can retrieve information on an individual on-site utilizing wirelessly transferred digital fingerprints.
With access to current data from the field, the police department can now publish a timely police blotter and daily criminal reports to all community members and provide real-time law enforcement information on a comprehensive police department website – another tool to support an already vigilant and dedicated department. The network also expedites distribution to anyone desiring Amber Alert information. This information, provided free of charge by Indiana Data Center, helps to close the time gap that is one of the most critical factors when a parent’s child goes missing.
Fort Wayne area residents and businesses benefit from free wireless Internet access as individuals can now access municipal systems to pay utility bills and report potholes, as well as take advantage of the speed advantages over dial up to explore neighborhood amenities through GIS (Geographic Information Systems) mapping. Also, the city’s website has become a “digital town hall” for government officials to discuss major initiatives and highlight upcoming events while providing community members access to necessary information.
The Colubris-enabled Wi-Fi deployment extends beyond the downtown area to include the Fort Wayne International Airport, Grand Wayne Convention Center, Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, waiting rooms at the local hospitals and in the internationally known genealogy department at the Allen County public Library. Visitors and residents can access the Internet with their laptops or by using portals located throughout the venues.
About Colubris Networks
Colubris Networks is the leading global provider of intelligent multiservice wireless LAN systems for service providers and enterprises. The company’s award-winning products deliver seamless, secure access to broadband services and applications while unifying existing network infrastructures, security and management systems. Colubris Networks’ equipment is deployed by more than 1,000 organizations worldwide. Colubris’ many awards include Red Herring’s top 100 private companies in North America, FierceWireless Fierce 15, Supercomm Superquest Award, and MobileTrax Mobility Award. For more information, visit the company at www.colubris.com or info@colubris.com.
