Integra Systems, Inc. has been around the wireless space way before 802.11b got ratified by IEEE in 1999. The WiFi Alliance around 2000 was then formed, and the rest as they say is history.
In the early days integrators of then 802.11b (before 802.11g) they often simply hung access points down the hallway by the (line of sight). Pretty much their was no site survey...well if you can call the eye ball method a site survey! Things evolved to what I will call the dixie cup approach. Essentially it was to draw circles of coverage "overlapping" on a building plan...really! No one had to worry about decent coverage at the time because the majority of WLANS were implemented for data. VoiP over WLAN was just coming of age and there were not really any WLAN enabled medical devices.
Then things evolved to use site survey tools and complete a new 2nd generation design what I can describe as the "walk around approach"..sounds a little like down under. This was better than the "dixie cup" approach, but still not scientific in my opinion. The quality of the site survey was largely dependent upon the technician completing a decent job and actually knowing what he/she were doing. In other words based upon what I have seen in the field; a high degree of variability dicates the outcome design model.
We propose as a new alternative the same type of outdoor propagation design as the cellular carriers, but using indoor predictive tools. These predictive tools take into account the actual building construction density and materials and use propagation modeling. We have partnered with a design firm that has over ten years experience and designed millions of square feet of WLAN coverage in all kinds of really tough environments. This design firm has the in-depth experience to "drive the software" as well as Integra Systems, Inc., providing the subject matter expertise for the healthcare and medical device vertical market space.
So what are the benefits? This new model provides 89% accuracy while being within a one level of the actual power settings of AP and controller settings. For a 2013 WLAN design this saves a lot of costs versus having to send folks out on site. Walking around with a laptop and spending days on site....is in our opinion not the most cost effective and technically efficient way.
Here is a cost Analysis
Traditional Integrator with a "Walk around Approach"
Technician can conduct around 90,000 square feet of WLAN design each day.
This time in site is primarily consists of documentation of construction materials and placing test access points.
Cost per day: $2,200 (Labor/per diem/airfare)
Assuming $160/hour labor rate
630,000 square feet of design
7 days @$2,200 = $15,400
Submittal of report and design: 6.30 work days
100,000 feet per day /630,000
Submittal of report and design cost: $8,160
Total Cost: $23,560
WLAN Design using Predictive Modeling
Completed Blueprints with propagation model that shows the exact placement of the access points with signal determination on a single floor as well as the entire building in 3D rendering. 150,00 sq ft/630,000 = 4.20 work days
Total Cost: $5,444.00
So the question is: Are you willing to spend $18,120.00 more for a WLAN design that just may not be as accurate and take more time to complete?
Download IBwave Portfolio Overview_Feb 8 2013
