Wireless LAN Source bags RJAH deal

Shropshire VAR wins deal to revamp orthopaedic hospital's communications estate

Wireless wellbeing: RJAH's WLAN network will improve the speed of communications

Reseller Wireless LAN Source has bagged a deal from Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt (RJAH) Orthopaedic and District Hospital NHS Trust to overhaul its communications infrastructure.

The Welshpool-based VAR will be installing a WLAN from wireless vendor Xirrus which will provide RJAH with email, web browsing and guest access. The kit will also be capable of supporting voice over Wi-Fi, radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking and wireless CCTV.

The Oswestry hospital, which specialises in treating bone, joint and metabolic disorders, will use the technology to access patient information, prescription services and staff applications. Wireless LAN Source has been tasked with installing, managing and supporting the network and claim it will allow quicker and more flexible communications.

David Kynaston, European business development manager at Wireless LAN Source, said: "We are constantly coming across organisations with Wi-Fi networks that were deployed a few years ago as an overlay to the wired network and supported a small number of clients accessing online information wirelessly.

“However, these same networks are brought to their knees today with the significant rise of both Wi-Fi applications and devices, from prescription drug services at the bedside to streaming video in patient rooms."

RJAH's IT systems support engineer Richard Jones said: "With all the medical advances pertaining to wireless applications and services, we found our existing 802.11B/G centralised controller architecture had several problems related to interference, coverage and user capacity.

"We did not have control over the radio frequency (RF) management and shaping. We wanted a visual representation of the area each access point was covering and what was going on within that RF environment. We selected Wireless LAN Source to enable us to achieve the desired RF control and to drastically increase the amount of wireless bandwidth distributed among our staff."