He is charged with keeping researchers in touch, even though they may seldom be at their desks. The site already was completely covered with wireless Ethernet so that people could carry their laptops to meetings and into research labs and still be connected. But this did not help with personal communications.
Almost everyone carries a cell phone or other cellular appliance such as a Blackberry. But these are considered personal devices intended for making personal calls, right? Schneider, however, believed that they could be leveraged for business use. He contacted Nextel, the Reston, Va.-based cellular phone service provider, to see if there was a way to get cellular coverage throughout the massive buildings that served to inhibit coverage. Nextel, in partnership with hardware maker RadioFrame Networks, Bellevue, Wash., inserted gateway and antenna units in the ceilings. These units accept blades for a variety of wireless technologies, including IEEE 802.11b and 802.11g for Ethernet and cellular. A “micro cell” tower constructed on the roof provides cellular coverage.
“The building already had a wireless Ethernet network for internal use,” says Schneider, “but now we could support visitors with a completely separate Ethernet access. This was an important productivity boost at the many meetings we have. Then we discovered that with the enhanced cellular coverage, we could improve our facilities management. We started routing maintenance transactions through handsets. This actually helped automate our system.”
See the story that goes with this sidebar: Novel Communica Speed Infomation Flow
