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CASE STUDY TOWN OF SIDNEY CUSTOMER PROFILE Town of Sidney Location • Sidney, BC Canada Population • 11,500 Solution • Mesh wide area network AP 7181 Benefits • Free downtown Wi-Fi access for tourists, residents and municipal workers • Network support for HD cameras, used to support tourism efforts • Positions Town of Sidney as a progressive, forward-thinking tourism destination • AP 7181 offers reliable, high- bandwidth coverage with fewer access points and no additional power supply SITUATION The Town of Sidney, British Columbia, a vibrant seaside community and one of Vancouver Island’s best kept secrets, wanted to deploy a downtown wireless infrastructure to support both residential and tourist usage, and also showcase their progressive outlook during the MISA (Municipal Information Systems Association) 2011 Fall Conference. Vision 2020, the Town of Sidney’s strategic outlook for corporate and municipal initiatives, wanted to explore wireless community options in downtown Sidney to position it for the immediate future and beyond. “We’ve been thinking about wireless for over five years now,” explains Peter Payerl, IT Manager for the Town of Sidney, “And about two years ago, Mayor Larry Cross along with the Town’s Council made it a strategic priority.” With the approval to move forward with wireless coverage, the town began researching technology and deployment strategies, and it gained some valuable insight from a trusted partner—MDT Technical Services. “We’ve worked on a few small scale projects in Sidney in the past,” says Blair Shellenberg, account manager at MDT. “When we first heard of this project, we approached the town and presented them with realistic goals towards the implementation process.” HIGH TIDE FOR SIDNEY WIRELESS THE TOWN OF SIDNEY USES A MESH WIRELESS NETWORK TO DELIVER FREE WI-FI, SUPPORT TOURIST CAMERAS AND ENHANCE ITS PREMIER SEASIDE DESTINATION. SOLUTION Collaborate with MDT Technical Services and deploy an 802.11n mesh wireless corridor using Motorola’s AP 7181 with HD webcams along Beacon Avenue—the town’s busiest main street. “Initially, we thought our goal of providing ubiquitous wireless signal strength from the ocean to the highway was going to be quite daunting,” says Payerl. “Conceptually we knew what we wanted, but it took a company like MDT to deliver the correct solution using the right product, and that product was the AP 7181.” Doug Peterson, owner of MDT Technical Services, explains the advantages of the Motorola access points, and how they work in parallel with the webcams. “With the Motorola mesh wireless network, the Town of Sidney received greater coverage while using fewer units. Plus, they had the ability to connect the power and Ethernet cables of the webcam directly into the AP 7181. Because of this, there was no reason to worry about cables being an eye sore.”
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Sidney case study

Apr 13, 2017

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Page 1: Sidney case study

CASE STUDYTOWN OF SIDNEY

CUSTOMER PROFILE Town of Sidney

Location• Sidney, BC Canada

Population• 11,500

Solution• Mesh wide area network AP 7181

Benefits• Free downtown Wi-Fi access for

tourists, residents and municipal workers

• Network support for HD cameras, used to support tourism efforts

• Positions Town of Sidney as a progressive, forward-thinking tourism destination

• AP 7181 offers reliable, high-bandwidth coverage with fewer access points and no additional power supply

SITUATIONThe Town of Sidney, British Columbia, a vibrant seaside community and one of Vancouver Island’s best kept secrets, wanted to deploy a downtown wireless infrastructure to support both residential and tourist usage, and also showcase their progressive outlook during the MISA (Municipal Information Systems Association) 2011 Fall Conference.

Vision 2020, the Town of Sidney’s strategic outlook for corporate and municipal initiatives, wanted to explore wireless community options in downtown Sidney to position it for the immediate future and beyond. “We’ve been thinking about wireless for over five years now,” explains Peter Payerl, IT Manager for the Town of Sidney, “And about two years ago, Mayor Larry Cross along with the Town’s Council made it a strategic priority.” With the approval to move forward with wireless coverage, the town began researching technology and deployment strategies, and it gained some valuable insight from a trusted partner—MDT Technical Services. “We’ve worked on a few small scale projects in Sidney in the past,” says Blair Shellenberg, account manager at MDT. “When we first heard of this project, we approached the town and presented them with realistic goals towards the implementation process.”

HIgH TIDE FORSIDNEY WIRELESS

THE TOWN OF SIDNEY USES A MESH WIRELESS NETWORk TO DELIVER FREE WI-FI,SUPPORT TOURIST CAMERAS AND ENHANCE ITS PREMIER SEASIDE DESTINATION.

SOLUTIONCollaborate with MDT Technical Services and deploy an 802.11n mesh wireless corridor using Motorola’s AP 7181 with HD webcams along Beacon Avenue—the town’s busiest main street.

“Initially, we thought our goal of providing ubiquitous wireless signal strength from the ocean to the highway was going to be quite daunting,” says Payerl. “Conceptually we knew what we wanted, but it took a company like MDT to deliver the correct solution using the right product, and that product was the AP 7181.” Doug Peterson, owner of MDT Technical Services, explains the advantages of the Motorola access points, and how they work in parallel with the webcams. “With the Motorola mesh wireless network, the Town of Sidney received greater coverage while using fewer units. Plus, they had the ability to connect the power and Ethernet cables of the webcam directly into the AP 7181. Because of this, there was no reason to worry about cables being an eye sore.”

Page 2: Sidney case study

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RESULTMotorola’s AP 7181 provided a reliable Wi-Fi network supporting public usage and real time HD camera feeds. It also boosts Sidney’s visibility by attracting residents and visitors alike to visit Beacon Avenue and experience its newly found vitality.

The recently installed AP 7181 wireless network is transforming the Town of Sidney’s downtown into a hi-tech tourist destination, allowing visitors to surf the web wirelessly and talk about their experiences via social networking websites. “We have a beautiful public waterfront,” says Payerl, “and with the real time cameras, people can now check out the weather, see what’s going on locally, and really get a clear picture of what the Town of Sidney is all about.” Local businesses will also benefit from the increased traffic and visibility according to Payerl. “We can now promote special events like concerts, arts and crafts shows and local festivals to get more people visiting downtown Sidney, and get more traffic to our local businesses. I believe this wireless network and tourist webcam solution will put Sidney on the map like never before.”

CASE STUDYTOWN OF SIDNEY

Town of Sidney: a progressive seaside communityIncorporated in 1952 and positioned on the Saanich Peninsula of Vancouver Island, the quaint and peaceful town of Sidney-by-the-Sea wanted a way to differentiate itself from other seaside communities and attract more visitors to its lively downtown district. “The way the town is laid out makes us perfectly situated for a downtown wireless corridor,” describes Payerl. “We’re small, flat, and have a compact downtown core.”

Looking to pioneer its efforts in making wireless internet available to the public, Sidney set forth a wireless technology mandate to introduce a public Wi-Fi system that would help promote tourism, expand the town’s visibility and showcase its progressive vision at the MISA 2011 Conference. With the general concept of a wireless infrastructure on the table, Sidney now needed to formulate a plan of how they were going to turn this idea into reality.

“The Motorola units simplified everything. They were more powerful, had a broader range and produced better signal strength. Plus, we were able to deploy fewer units and get better coverage than any other unit available.” Peter Payerl, IT Manager, Town of Sidney

Perfect timingThe Town of Sidney’s Council mandated a wireless technology initiative to research and deploy a reliable, cost effective solution. Knowing MDT’s notable track record for deploying wireless solutions—and having worked with the IT staff of Sidney in the past— the Town of Sidney once again partnered with MDT Technical Services to formulate the groundwork for a flexible wireless solution.

“One of the interesting things that made our solution different from standard wireless implementations was the collaboration with MDT,” explained Will Maxwell, senior technical support for the Town of Sidney. “And it was the luck of timing that Sidney is now able to host this year’s conference and showcase MDT’s wireless advances.”

Page 3: Sidney case study

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CASE STUDYTOWN OF SIDNEY

With this year’s MISA Conference promising to be bigger and better than ever before, MDT Technical Services, along with the Town of Sidney, is looking to distinguish themselves as innovators of wireless communications in Canada, and North America.

Motorola’s AP 7181When the collaborative wireless initiative between Sidney and MDT began, both parties knew they needed a device that could provide reliable data speeds at a cost effective price—and they found both in the AP 7181. “Motorola’s units simplified everything,” explains Payerl. “They were more powerful, had a broader range and produced better signal strength. Plus, we were able to deploy fewer units and get better coverage than any other unit available.” Sidney also had the freedom to extend its Wi-Fi signal to areas that aren’t usually considered—like the ocean. “Because of the added range from these units,” explains Payerl, “we were able to install a unit by the Town Hall wharf, and have the Wi-Fi signal reaching out into the ocean.” The Motorola units allow Sidney to experience a lower total cost of ownership due to the minimal deployment and installation costs.

With high definition video being the other component to Sidney’s wireless goal, the AP 7181 needed to support exceptional video quality and work seamlessly with the outdoor cameras. According to Peterson, the AP 7181 did just that, “We didn’t have to run separate power lines because the webcams had a direct connection into the radio. Installation was quick, clean, and easy

because no additional cables, wiring or power supplies were needed.” Equipped with the latest in 802.11n technology, the AP 7181 gives Sidney a combined access layer and backhaul in one simplified unit—further enhancing its network capabilities.

Impressed with the overall performance features of the AP 7181, Payerl had to wait until the first installation to see how it blended with the surroundings. “At the end of the day, it wasn’t that obtrusive at all. It has a sleek look that helps it blend in,” he says. “Plus, we were able to have a reliable unit that we could throttle the bandwidth on and control the network.”

The Town of Sidney in real-time Mounted on Beacon Avenue’s decorative lamp standards and connected to the AP 7181 units, Sidney’s four high definition tourist webcams display real-time video of downtown Sidney—from the ocean to the highway. “With the tourist cameras positioned to capture Sidney’s Beacon Avenue,” says Payerl, “residents and tourists can get a live picture of what’s happening at all times.”

Sidney’s beautiful downtown attractions are displayed to all people using the cameras. “We have a waterfront pavilion that attracts lots of events, festivals and arts and crafts shows,” says Payerl. “Now, people can watch these events via the tourists cameras, and hopefully it encourages them to visit the town soon.” The newly installed cameras are helping expand Sidney’s tourism reach by promoting local events, and serving as an open window for the world to view Sidney’s other world-class offerings.

Motorola AP 7181

Page 4: Sidney case study

For more information on Motorola’s AP 7181, and to see how its design meets the outdoors needs of residents, enterprises and municipal agencies please visit us on the web at www.motorola.com/mesh

MOTOROLA, MOTO, MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS and the Stylized M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC and are used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2011 Motorola Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.

A next generation tourism destinationSince deploying its free public Wi-Fi network, the Town of Sidney has positioned itself to become one of Canada’s premier seaside tourist destinations. “We’re putting advertisements on the highway and encouraging people to come into town,” explains Payerl. “The thing that really excites me is the marine hotspot we’ve created. As far as I know, we are the first seaside town in Canada that can advertise our free Wi-Fi network, as a marine hotspot, to visiting boaters.”

Accessing the Beacon street cameras and public Wi-Fi also provided Sidney with a unique opportunity to gain valuable insight from residents and visitors alike. “The Wi-Fi is accessible to anyone visiting Sidney,” explains Peterson. “But in order for users to log-on, they have to answer a few survey questions created by the town. Once the answers are given, they’re free to use the network.” With the survey questions in place, Sidney has a resourceful outlet to gain insights on its current attractions and ideas for future development.

First impressions of the wireless network and camera solution are all positive from both local businesses and incoming visitors. Local businesses gain exposure from potential visitors previewing Sidney’s downtown ambiance via the web. When people do eventually make it to Sidney, they end up visiting those same businesses along Beacon Avenue, and then use the public Wi-Fi to share their experiences on social media websites from their mobile devices. It’s a win-win formula that keeps contributing to Sidney’s future growth.

CASE STUDYTOWN OF SIDNEY

Looking towards the futureNow that Sidney’s public Wi-Fi network is up and running with full video capabilities, the future looks bright to Payerl. “I’m so excited about the success of this project that after the MISA Conference, we will look at the 2012 budget with further network expansion in mind,” he says. “We could cover more of our downtown core, add more hotspots and expand north and south. My preference would be to extend the network over our waterfront and add additional tourist cameras.”

“You have to bring a product to the table that delivers—and that’s exactly what the Motorola AP 7181 did for our town.”Peter Payerl, IT Manager, Town of Sidney

Providing wireless to Sidney’s municipal staff will also be included in the future, says Payerl. “As we grow, we can give our inspectors and other municipal departments more information at their fingertips when they’re out in the field. And you can bet that almost every small business in this town will also promote Sidney based on the fact that we have downtown wireless.”

In the end, Motorola’s AP 7181 and a partnership with MDT Technical Services gave Sidney the tools needed to successfully deploy a wireless infrastructure that will deliver clear communications into the future. “You have to bring a product to the table that delivers,” explains Payerl, “and that’s exactly what the Motorola AP 7181 did for our town.” Sidney’s progressive movement of offering free Wi-Fi and tourist camera services to the public serves as a true example of a town going the extra mile for its community and incoming guests—building a promising path into the future.

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MDT Technical Services Inc.105-7402 Progress WayDelta, BCCanada V4G 0A1www.mdttech.com Phone: 604.952.5123Fax: 604.952.5122