The University of Akron selected Laketec to design & implement their new campus wide Aruba wireless network in early 2016. This network contains around 3,000 access points in a distributed and fully redundant architecture. This deployment included redundant Aruba Clearpass servers providing all authentication and guest access, with the Aruba mobility controllers providing all firewalling and role based security. This deployment also included an outdoor mesh network to accommodate wireless access in the outdoor common areas across campus. This project was completed in roughly 4 months.
Company Overview: Discover a world of ideas for your home inside Keim Lumber’s 125,000 square foot showroom. Explore hundreds of interactive displays as you envision and create the home of your dreams. Keim Lumber’s knowledgeable staff will assist you with any project, large or small. For over 100 years they have been delivering Quality products, Exceptional Customer Service and Integrity in business.
Business Challenges: Keim Lumber was originally introduced to Laketec to provide a phone system for the campus wide facility. After much evaluation Keim decided on a solution provided by a different vendor, however during the process the team from Keim Lumber recognized the capabilities of Laketec to provide expertise within the networking and cloud space. Keim Lumber, knowing that their business growth depended on a reliable network and data center performance, sought out a reliable partner to help advise through the process. In July of 2015, Laketec performed a full IT infrastructure assessment evaluating everything from the structured cabling, security strategy, networking access, all the way to their disaster recovery plan. From this assessment Laketec was able to provide Keim Lumber with a blueprint of required steps and improvements that would take their IT infrastructure to the speeds and reliability they required for future growth. As of May 2017, Keim has worked with Laketec to complete almost all of the recommendation from the assessment.
Benefits: Keim lumber can now provide faster speeds to their end users with the upgraded fiber backbone and access layer switches. They can also deliver application performance from a server infrastructure and network that is capable of withstanding failures with minimal downtime. They can now work confidently knowing that their critical information is protected with Next Generation Firewall policies and advanced endpoint protection.
Company Overview – While the plant is only a few decades old, North Ridgeville has continually upgraded and maintained operations of the facility. They have invested millions of dollars to ensure they remain current with technology and in compliance with the ever-changing environmental guidelines. French Creek is ready to serve its growing customer base well into the future with safe, sanitary and cost effective treatment of sewage. The plant operates 24 hours per day with two shifts rotating daily to maintain and monitor the best working conditions of the equipment, keeping the water released back into French Creek clean and safe.
Business Challenge – French Creek Wastewater Treatment, in their quest for constant process improvements, launched a Process Control and Monitoring project utilizing the latest in SCADA technologies. While this new technology would ultimately provide FCWWT with improved process controls, and advanced local and remote monitoring; it first required the improvement of the facility’s network infrastructure to support the project. FCWWT was in need of a completely updated fiber based network, capable of handling the new data from the SCADA system, wireless communications across the campus for timely updates to the processing equipment, and a campus-wide security camera system.
Technology Used – To provide the backbone on which this new technology would operate, FCWWT engaged with Laketec to design and implement a completely new fiber based network utilizing 15+ HP/Aruba POE+ Switches; a combination of 20+ Aruba industrial-grade interior and weather-resistant exterior wireless access points; and nearly 50 interior/exterior IP-based security cameras throughout the campus and buildings.
Benefits Derived – FCWWT is now able to monitor all their processing systems 24×7, providing real-time alerts to technicians, thus allowing them to visually monitor, either locally or remotely every system within the facility. FCWWT has been able to reduce the number of times technicians are dispatched during off-hours. Processing metrics outside of allowable ranges are immediately conveyed to the management team, with appropriate corrective actions be implemented within minutes versus hours.
Wichert Insurance is a leading provider of personal and Business insurance including employee benefits to clients throughout Ohio. Representing most major insurers, Wichert provides unsurpassed service and a comprehensive selection of Insurance choices. Laketec has been the provider of products and services to Wichert since 2009. The Avaya IP office, a leading edge communications system was chosen as the platform to best supply the voice needs of this premier customer.
Wichert has been in the process of improving their voice infrastructure over the past eight years. Laketec has designed, implemented and currently supports five locations with the We currently have five locations. Further Wichert expressed the desire for three-digit dialing (site to site) which has streamlined their internal communications while realizing cost savings on their carrier long distance charges. The phone systems also allowed their remote workers to have business functionality even while working on the road or at their home office.
Wichert is highly committed to customer service and that means they needed a system that would be dependable and user friendly. By deploying the Avaya One-X portal as a part of this design, users gained desktop functionality for the voice platform which allows them great flexibility and functionality to aid in servicing their customers. Another feature utilized by Wichert is unified messaging which has made their employees responsive and as productive as they can be.
After the full deployment of the Avaya platform, the next project engagement was focused on network security and a deployment of Palo Alto firewalls.
The Village of St. Edward’s, Located in Fairlawn, Ohio is a Senior Living facility that has multiple levels of care including Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Nursing Care & Rehab. Their Mission is to respond to the challenges of the aging by providing high-grade services.
One of the projects Laketec has provided is a dependable and unified Nurse Call system. The Nurse Call system Laketec installed provides peace of mind for residents and staff knowing that no matter what the situation is, the system deployed can create awareness regardless of the location or device provided on campus. By integrating the Nurse Call System with Applications such as Pagers, Wall Boards, Kiosks, the Avaya Phone System, Microsoft Exchange, Spectralink, Cellular Phones, Aruba, and Wanderguard, Laketec has developed a multi-escalation environment that meets the facility’s quality standards to effectively support their Residents and Staff.
Step by Step is an employment and training company that needed a quick turnaround of a new phone system because there current Nortel was on its “last leg”. We installed an IP Office Phone System, some new cabling and a new Aruba wireless access point… All of those requirements were completed within one week’s time. The end users and console operators we individually trained for understanding and the wireless was functional and secure which was imperative to the President, David Volak.
The customer was most impressed with the professionalism of the technical staff, the quality of the work, and the smooth and quick transition to a new phone system and wireless solution with virtually no interruption to their business.
Step 2 is the number one US based Toy manufacturer and distributor of “Made in America” children’s toys. They are headquartered in Streetsboro, Ohio. Their requirements revolved primarily around data storage needs that were critical to their operation. When looking for a partner to solve their challenges, they remembered their ten-year relationship with a Laketec Senior Network Engineer, Tom Petkoff, who is now on the team at Laketec. They reached out to Tom on social media, met with Tom and their Laketec Account Executive, and agreed to move forward with a sophisticated storage design and implementation. As a result, of the successful deployment, we were able to evolve the discussion into other areas like disaster recovery.
Nelson Stud has been in business for over 75 year and has led the global landscape for weld stud fasteners and application equipment. The markets they supply are primarily automotive, construction, and industrial. They have been a premier Laketec customer for the past 10 years. We supply all of their voice and unified messaging needs through the design implementation and ongoing support of the Avaya IP Office platform.
Nelson stud is a leading edge manufacturing firm that requires state of the art voice communications along with unified messaging. Laketec has accomplished those requirements through the design, implementation and support of the Avaya IP Office platform. Nelson Stud currently has the latest release, Server Edition Platform. The highlight of that release and implementation is that it guarantees redundancy utilizing VM Ware software. This deployment is a great example of a communication system that has been properly deployed and well maintained by an in house IT team with our support.
Service Coordinator Sarah Abfall teaches a new user training class on a new phone system.
Laurel Lake Retirement Community is located in Hudson Ohio. They strive to be the community of choice for adults over 62 that choose to lead lives filled with meaning, purpose and lifelong opportunities for growth and service. Laurel Lake offers independent living, and multiple levels of care including independent Living, Assisted Living, and Skilled nursing. Their Mission is to display compassion, respect, excellence and service to the residents that is truly first class. A tour of the facility and campus gives any visitor, resident or family member a sense of dignity and well-being.
The technology that Laketec has designed and implemented is tailored to meet a multi-escalation environment that meets the facility’s quality standards to effectively support their Residents and Staff. To date, Laurel Lake has partnered with Laketec to design, deploy, and support a fiber cable network, edge switching, campus wide wireless, Status Solutions, and a phone system. Laketec is proud to consider Laurel Lake as a signature account who has gone “All In” with our support team.
Hexpol is a world-leading polymers group with strong global market presence. They are premier supplier to the automotive and engineering industry. The entire Hexpol Group has approximately 4,200 employees in eleven countries. They have been a Laketec customer for over 7 years with the North American headquarters located in Burton Ohio.
Hexpol is a shining example of the Laketec portfolio being brought to bear within one network. We have worked closely with their exiting IT staff to fully deploy an Avaya phone system including video capabilities, a secure wireless network, next gen firewalls, and edge switching. We thank the Hexpol team for being an “All In” customer.
