Wifi Revolution

Lodgian, an independent owner and operator of full-service hotels in the United States, has deployed Ruckus Wireless' (News - Alert) ZoneFlex Smart Wireless LAN (WLAN) systems at 40 hotel and resort properties nationwide.

 

Ruckus ZoneFlex systems will enable Wi-Fi access across nearly 7,400 guest rooms, 279 conference rooms, and outdoor areas such as beaches, pools and restaurants. The Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi system will help Lodgian offer guests advanced multimedia services, such as support for voice, video and gaming services, while providing the fastest Wi-Fi connections possible from anywhere on hotel premises.

 

Lodgian was one of the first companies to offer in-room Wi-Fi connectivity. Lodgian is basically replacing first generation 3Com (News - Alert) Wi-Fi systems with Ruckus ZoneFlex smart wireless LAN systems.

 

"Working with One Media Wireless, we configured the first of several Ruckus ZoneFlex systems in less than 30 minutes. We had complete Wi-Fi coverage and management in our 181-room Buckhead Courtyard Marriott in

Atlanta, GA in less than five hours," said Dan Webber, Lodgian interim vice president of information technology. "We were astounded at the speed and ease with which we had the system deployed and are now replicating this success across our other U.S. properties. We plan to have the Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi systems in place at a majority of our hotels by the spring."

 

Lodgian will be deploying Ruckus ZoneFlex 2942 802.11b/g APs combined with the ZoneDirector central management console for complete plug- and-play installation and configuration. Each ZoneFlex AP is

built with Ruckus' patented beamsteering technology, a smart antenna array that steers Wi-Fi signals around interference and toward the user in real-time to provide consistent, higher capacity coverage and extended range.

 

The Ruckus ZoneDirector acts as a central point of configuration, management, administration and security for all Ruckus ZoneFlex APs. The Ruckus ZoneDirector gives Lodgian's IT staff complete visibility into the Wi-Fi environment of each hotel such as the number of users associated with each AP at any given time and the ability to detect rogue APs.

 

"Our ZoneFlex system was designed specifically to address the needs of the hospitality industry and public Wi-Fi hotspots -- places that cater to high- density usage and require more robust reliability," said Selina Lo, president and CEO of Ruckus Wireless. "Lodgian has raised the stakes for Wi-Fi within the hospitality market. It's showing the world that Wi-Fi can be used as a ubiquitous utility to enable a new era of guest services that have never before been possible."

 

 

 

 

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