SMC Networks Brings Connectivity and Profits to Hospitality Locales -- from Resorts to Truck Stops
IRVINE, Calif.--July 28, 2005--| SMC's Solutions for Hospitality -- Including Extended Ethernet and Robust Enterprise Wireless Access Solutions -- Enable Increased Operational Efficiency and Open Revenue Opportunities |
SMC Networks (www.smc.com) today announced that its Enterprise Wireless Access Points, Bridges, Amps and High-Gain antennas are making hospitality network provisioning practical and profitable in places where it had been thought to be cost-prohibitive. Working with tier-one broadband service providers and integrators, SMC has broken down the barriers presented by the 'last mile challenge,' where the cost of extending hybrid fiber/coaxial cabling outweighed any possible return on investment. Installations at remote resorts, truck stops, motels and college campuses serve to demonstrate the robustness of SMC's TigerAccess(TM) Extended Ethernet (EE) VDSL and EliteConnect(TM) Enterprise Wireless networking solutions for the hospitality market.
CMA Communications recently met the challenge of setting-up wireless connectivity for a prominent truck stop with SMC Networks' equipment. To make the application effective required a solution that could employ authentication to ensure that users who logged-in to the network were in fact customers of the truck stop, and not passers-by or guests at a nearby hotel. CMA Communications deployed SMC EliteConnect(TM) 2.4GHz 802.11g Wireless Hotspot Gateways (SMCWHSG-44G) to handle authentication, authorization and accounting; and a combination of EliteConnect(TM) Wireless Bridges (SMC2586W-G) and EliteConnect(TM) Wireless High Gain Antennas with POE (SMCANT-CEILINGBOX) to distribute connectivity. With their new SMC-enabled wireless network in place, the truck stop can now ensure that its customers -- truckers pulling into their rest stop -- can download maps, payloads and route information, as well as send and receive emails, after authenticating by MAC address for connection permission. This way, the truck stop provides a valuable service for which the company can charge for usage on an hourly, daily or weekly rate; while still maintaining full control over access to its network. And, the company encourages customer loyalty by offering frequent user benefits -- frequent visitors can secure a static user name and access code to bypass the visit to the front desk each time they pass through.
NPG Cable faced the challenge of bringing Broadband to remote communities -- and prevailed. The sole provider of Cable TV services in Mammoth Lakes, California, NPG had been seeking a way to provide high-speed data transmission services to customers where 2-way transmission systems are not in place without having to rebuild the infrastructure. By installing a series of EliteConnect(TM) Wireless Bridges (SMC2586W-G) with SMCAMP-1000 amplifiers and SMCANT-0008 AND CEILINGBOX high-gain antennas, NPG Cable is now able to supply high-speed Internet access to residents -- both year-round and seasonal; residents and resort guests alike -- where, until recently, dial-up was the only option.
"The hotel/motel market has offered many immediate opportunities. We are seeing increased demand from a number of bulk apartments, college campuses, hospitals, car dealerships, truck stops and even ferry crossings," said Steve Sizemore, Director of Advanced Services for CMA Communications. "The added reach provided by the SMC products extends CMA's commercial business footprint beyond current physical boundaries."
"With minimal SMC training, we have been able to deploy the wireless solutions in all CMA markets," continued Sizemore. "SMC's excellent support, both in the form of its responsive technical support staff at the 800-number and its extremely thorough documentation helps our local technicians become proficient after just the first few installs. We can place a trial unit in a business with minimal installation costs. Once the customer experiences the service, they quickly request a term agreement for full service."
SMC remains committed to providing the kinds of solutions that make it easy and economically feasible for service providers to increase network coverage -- and revenues. The recently-introduced SMC EliteConnect Universal 2.4GHz/5Ghz Outdoor Access Point/Bridge (SMC2888W), designed to bridge two or more wired LANs, serves as an example of that commitment. Especially useful in providing Cable Operators access to a series of locations and bridging those connections to buildings and/or residential locations across distances of up to five miles, it brings the cable operator's plant 'closer' to the end customer without wires.
SMC will be demonstrating these and other networking solutions for Hospitality Applications at NCTC/ACA in San Diego, California, August 1-3 in booth #525.
For more information on CMA Communications, visit the company's Website at www.cmaaccess.net, or call the company's headquarters at 979-849-5728. For more on NPG Cable, visit www.npgcable.net. For more information about SMC Networks or its products, visit www.smc.com, or call 800-SMC-4YOU (800-762-4968).