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EDMONTON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FIRST
IN CANADA TO ADOPT CANON’S LATEST FREE SPACE OPTICS SOLUTION
Even in a Record Downpour the Canobeam DT-130 Reigns
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., JANUARY 28, 2005—Edmonton Economic Development
Corporation (EEDC) has installed Canada’s first Canon Canobeam DT-130
to provide Gigabit connectivity via Free Space Optics between its
newly renovated offices.
EEDC, an independent corporation owned by the city of Edmonton, Alberta
recently relocated its main offices to a renovated heritage building
500 meters (547 yards) down the street. They sought to extend network
operations by implementing a high-speed data link between the two
locations. As it turned out, however, it was too expensive and difficult
to run a fiber connection between the office buildings.
"Local estimates for new fiber connections were cost-prohibitive
in this instance,” said John Kratochvil, EEDC’s Director of Information
Technology. “So we began looking for an alternate, innovative solution.”
Free Space Optics: Many Advantages
EEDC outlined several requirements that any proposed solution would
have to meet. First, they needed a performance minimum of 100 Mbps.
Second, the link had to be highly secure.
"Security is always a priority as our high-profile company manages
sensitive information," said Kratochvil. "For many of our mission-critical
applications we felt radio was simply not secure enough for our downtown
offices because it bounces off everything."
In addition, the new office was in a city-protected historical landmark
that had been unoccupied for seven years. The heritage building lacked
a data infrastructure and to build one would have been a very expensive
undertaking. Glentel Inc., a systems integrator for Canon, brought
the Canobeam to Kratchovil’s attention.“We are excited about the cost
savings and performance enhancements afforded through this technology,”
Brian Napier, Director of Market Development for Glentel Inc. in Edmonton
said. “We strive to ensure that our clients are able to realize competitive
advantages through their telecommunications infrastructure. EEDC is
enjoying this telecommunications advantage and is now setting new
business communication standards in Canada.”
"Situations like the one at the EEDC are becoming more common,”
said Bruce Olynik, Area Sales Vice President for Optelligence Canada,
the marketing support for Canon. “Add the benefits of utilizing light
to transmit data with an affordable price tag, and Canon has made
Free Space Optics a powerfully viable option for any organization
seeking building-to-building network connectivity."
Canon's Canobeam Free Space Optics system uses a line-of-sight beam
of light to transmit data at up to 1.25 Gbps at Gigabit Ethernet speeds.
Because Canobeam does not use radio waves, its use does not require
radio-frequency licenses, it can be set up quickly, and the data it
transmits is secure and can't be intercepted. In addition, Canobeam's
exclusive Auto Tracking function automatically adjusts the light beam
to compensate for even the slightest variations in the installation
base (due to building or traffic vibrations, temperature changes,
or wind) and maintain a perfect line-of-sight Free Space Optical connection.
The Canobeam DT-130, which offers economical Gigabit Ethernet connectivity
for a capital investment and no subsequent usage charges easily met
EEDC’s demanding technical requirements. Glentel Inc. also had the
units up and running in a matter of days.
"The guys at Glentel did a very good job installing the DT-130
and they provided us with a level of service that met our expectations,”
said Kratochvil. “Too often technology gives you a suitcase full of
oversized expectations. Canobeam, however, is doing exactly what Canon
said it would at an optimal level."
Kratochvil added: “What helped seal the deal for us is the fact that
we will end up owning the equipment. If a similar situation ever occurs
again we can just reposition the Canobeam. It’s a real win-win scenario
for us.”
Trial by Water: Canobeam Put to the Test
Within a few weeks of Canobeam’s installation, Edmonton experienced
a torrential rainfall that significantly affected much of the city.
The 150 millimeters (5.9 inches) of rain that fell in less than two
hours put about one-third of the city under water and was described
by some forecasters as a once-in-200-year storm.
"This storm was enough to put any system to the test and many
parts of the city experienced some type of communication failure,”
said Kratochvil. “The Canobeam, however, never experienced a hiccup.
Since then I haven’t worried about it because it’s been so reliable."
Unintended Consequences: End-to-End Gigabit Connectivity
There were several benefits from implementing the Canobeam that Kratochvil
did not anticipate. First, because the Canobeam can transmit 1.25
Gigabits in either direction, the DT-130 provided a backbone that
gives EEDC end-to-end Gigabit connectivity from their workstation
to their server farm. There are no slow-down or stalling systems nodes,
which can often occur in networks due to some connections being slower
than others.
In addition, EEDC was able to leave its entire server farm in its
original location and move 75 percent of its work force to its new
building, allowing for their mission-critical infrastructure to remain
off site. This arrangement meant that the Canobeam enabled EEDC to
provide redundancy without doubling infrastructure costs.
About Glentel Inc.
Glentel Inc. is a wireless solution provider for consumers, business,
and government. It has to date 92 corporate locations in Canada, including
82 WirelessWave mall-based multi-network cellular stores and ten Wireless
Business Centres. Glentel specializes in cellular phones, sales, and
rentals of voice/data wireless radio equipment, engineered wireless
systems, and national Motorola radio service, and operates corporately
owned fixed/mobile terrestrial and satellite wireless systems in Canada
and the United States. Glentel is an authorized dealer for such companies
as Motorola, Tait, Telesat, Globalstar, Orthogon, Canon, Zetron, @Road,
Bell Mobility, Microcell (Fido), and Rogers Wireless. For further
information: please contact Dan Lowndes, VP Operations, Wireless Business
Division at (604) 415-6500; or Brian Napier, Director Market Development,
Wireless Business Division at (780) 732-3415. To request a free copy
of this organization's annual report, please go to www.newswire.ca
and click on reports@cnw.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial
imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most
Admired Companies in America, and is ranked #35 on the BusinessWeek
list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ)
is a top patent-holder of technology, ranking third overall in the
U.S. in 2004, with global revenues of $33.3 billion. For more information,
visit www.usa.canon.com.
All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their
respective owners.
EDITORS Please note corporate contact information for this
division:
For more information, please call Canon Broadcast and Communications
Division at 1-800-321-4388 or visit www.canonbroadcast.com.
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