“Although I’ve had plenty of experience in wireless deployments, it’s important that as a Ruckus Big Dog partner, Curve IT holds the official certification for  Zone Director deployments,” says Mark.  “It’s always good practice to update your knowledge around the latest Ruckus products and interesting to learn about system developments.”

Ruckus WiSE Certification Test

WiSE is Ruckus’ top-level certification. It ensures that certificate holders have the necessary skills to design, deploy, manage, and support robust wireless networks consisting of a range of Ruckus smart WiFi products, including ZoneDirector controllers and Access Points.

Key aspects of the course covered:

• Describe the ZoneFlex WLAN system
• Compare the ZoneDirector and ZoneFlex AP hardware models
• Install a ZoneDirector controller
• Configure a ZoneFlex WLAN system to support
• WLAN service options
• User authentication options
• System administration options
• WLAN security options
• Captive portal services
• Wireless mesh networking
• Redundancy options for the ZoneDirector controllers
• Describe the network topology options for the ZoneFlex WLAN system
• Troubleshoot WLAN connectivity and performance issue

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If ever there was any doubt about the importance of providing “always on WiFi” a new report reveals just how much it impacts the daily lives of professionals worldwide.

Global mobile connectivity provider iPass Inc. (ipass.com) recently released its annual iPass Mobile Professional Report 2017.

The research focuses on the connectivity and smartphone habits of more than 1,700 mobile professionals worldwide and their connectivity preferences.

Their findings underline those of Curve IT: that people are dependent on WiFi both in their business and personal lives – and now so reliant on smartphones that they will do almost anything – including break social etiquette – to use them.

“Technology, and particularly smartphones have become an integral part of our lives, that there’s no scenario in which people won’t check their phone,” said iPass chief commercial officer Patricia Hume. “Moreover, they expect to be connected to WiFi; mobile workers just want to be connected.”

WiFi empowers a productive workforce

WiFi’s importance to productivity is the biggest reason why mobile workers feel so lost without it. Of those respondents who said they felt anxious without it, 31% said it was because they would find it more difficult to work remotely.

The report shows that mobile professionals use WiFi and cellular data very differently. Whether due to mobile performance issues, data restrictions, or reliability, it is still the dominant force in connectivity, particularly for data-intensive tasks such as video conferencing. 90% of mobile professionals say that they regularly stream audio/video content over WiFi, vs. just 34 % who do so over a cellular connection. Even lower-bandwidth internet tasks such as accessing cloud services and browsing the internet were roughly twice as popular over WiFi.

WiFi is still unmatched in terms of its performance and reliability, and employers have a duty to ensure their mobile workforce can connect easily and securely, wherever they are. (The financial cost of unproductive and unhappy employees can be severe, and no business can afford to neglect the connectivity needs of an ever more mobile workforce.)

Alongside the ever-growing demand for wireless connectivity on mobile devices is the need for a reliable and solid infrastructure, and this is where Curve IT can help.

After a site survey we provide comprehensive recommendations to ensure that all businesses and multi-tenant residential buildings have a secure, robust and fully scalable WiFi network. Curve IT is an official partner of Ruckus – the world’s leading WiFi manufacturer and innovator.

Written by Catherine Eade

Call us on 01273 806220 or email us to find out how we can help you.

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We started our preparations for Pride a couple of weeks ago.  First we checked and prepared all of our equipment required for the temporary outdoor WiFi connectivity. Our various leased line connection points throughout the city enable us to provide WiFi for multiple location events such as Pride, so we also prepared these and check they are operating optimally.

The first connection point is in Victoria Gardens as Pride required WiFi to power the main box office from last Monday. The WiFi delivers a secure and robust connection for the card payment machines allowing for hundreds of ticket purchases.

The second connection is for the temporary outdoor WiFi at Pride Pleasure Gardens on the Old Steine, followed by the largest site, Preston Park, for the main festival party. Our install team erected over 20 WiFi access points in Preston Park which power the connection for the live-ticketing systems on the entry gate, card payment machines in all the bars, emergency and operational communications plus WiFi for media and VIPs.

Last Friday, the day before the event, the team re-checked every access point to ensure the client and various contractors have the connectivity they require. Meanwhile, our team back in the office were also getting into the Pride spirit by preparing our corner of New England House as the building turned rainbow for Pride.

On the day itself, Saturday 6 August, all of our technical team were on-site at the various locations to guarantee an immediate response should they be required.  This had the added benefit of a high vantage point for them to enjoy the main stage acts of Years & Years and the Pet Shop Boys.

The party at Preston Park finished at 11pm and our team got straight to work de-rigging the WiFi as soon as the gates close. By 1am all of our WiFi equipment was securely loaded into our vehicles ready to be returned to our warehouse.

It was certainly a busy week for the Curve IT team but one in which we take great pride and pleasure!

Our case study on Brighton Pride has more detail on the installation.

The post Temporary WiFi at Brighton Pride 2017 appeared first on Curve IT.

The RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) National Awards are given to buildings regarded as making “significant contributions to architecture”, and the jury said it had been impressed by “the extraordinary innovation and originality” of the structure as well as the “heroic collaboration” between the architects Marks Barfield and the British Airways i360 engineers.

In May, British Airways i360 was also awarded a 2017 RIBA South East Award as well as being honoured with three 2017 RICS South East Awards, including the accolade “Project of the Year”.

An extensive IT Infrastructure was integral to the project, and Curve IT consultants were commissioned to design, develop and install a robust system to tight deadlines and budget.  WiFi connectivity was also implemented right across the site – including in the glass pod at its full height of 138 metres – as well as in the offices, event spaces and restaurant.

Located next to Brighton’s historic West Pier, the British Airways i360’s futuristic pod now allows 175 visitors at a time to use social media, whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, to share their experiences during their visit.

“Curve IT understood the aims for the building including the flow of people and the work spaces that would require guaranteed connectivity,” said Marks Barfield Architect’s Director, Ian Crockford. “They planned, mapped and implemented connectivity to suit the customers and operations teams needs alike – including designing and installing WiFi provision inside the moving glass pod.”

The British Airways i360 visitor attraction will now go on to compete against other regional winners at the national RICS Awards Grand Final in October 2017, for the chance to be crowned an overall UK winner.

The shortlist for the Stirling Prize, RIBA’s prestigious accolade for Britain’s best building of the year, will be drawn from the list of 49 RIBA National Award-winning projects.

Read the case study regarding our work with British Airways i360.

Email or call Curve IT on 01273 806220 to discuss your IT infrastructure project.

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We’ve all experienced events where there are a huge number of people concentrated in one area all trying to use their phone to call, text, get on-line or use social media.  Inevitably the phone networks are overloaded and fail.  For such events, the organisers have to ensure a guaranteed connection method for their own operational communications and also for the emergency services.  A temporary WiFi installation provides this guaranteed connection method.

The promotion parade event organisers, Beyond 90, asked us to deliver a secure business grade network provided by WiFi connectivity.   Working to extremely tight deadlines, our team installed leased line connectivity at multiple locations, both indoor and outdoor, along the seafront parade route.

The WiFi facilitated the following:

• Event organising team communications
• Emergency services communications
• Telecommunications with residents, fans and other interested parties
• Media communications for high-speed image and video uploads for instant broadcasting
• Social media sharing for BHAFC official updates
• Players and VIP WiFi access

The promotion parade was an amazing community event which many thousands of fans and residents enjoyed.  Good luck to the Seagulls in the Premier League!

If you’re looking for a temporary large-scale, reliable WiFi connection at your indoor or outdoor event, please call us on 01273 806220.

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