Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 13 | Page 58

CASE STUDY View from a high site before the fire View from the same client on the day of the fire Fire damage to operational equipment SEAMLESS AND UNINTERRUPTED WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY MEANT THAT THE MUNICIPALITY WAS INDEED ABLE TO PROVIDE ITS RELIEF EFFORTS. emergency information via social media and website updates. Alan Otto, COO of Lasernet, said: “Clients in South Africa are normally wary of using wireless connectivity for mission critical applications because of their past experience when using other brands, especially in adverse weather conditions and natural disasters. However, InfiNet Wireless changed all that. “We take great pleasure in being able to share with everyone in Knysna that even in the 58 INTELLIGENTCIO thick cloud of smoke and intense heat given off by the fires, the InfiNet links remained unaffected throughout the ordeal.” We asked Alan Otto further questions about the system. In the past why have clients in South Africa been wary about using wireless connectivity for mission critical applications? Traditionally, wireless connectivity was a cheap solution with quick and easy deployment. This resulted in a proliferation of devices being installed. The noise and interference generated resulted in instability for end user clients and became a last resort or temporary solution while alternate microwave, licensed band or fibre were on order. What was the extent of the fire damage to Knysa? A total of 16000Ha of forest was destroyed, 1600 houses were affected with 900 of them completely destroyed. Had the InfiNet Wireless Solution stopped working what would the consequences have been for Knysa? Communications and informative web access would have been impacted. The cell phone towers had varying degrees of operation due to power outages and possible backhaul www.intelligentcio.com