Cancer centre replaces Wi-Fi network
Victoria's Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac) will shortly replace its ageing Wi-Fi implementation with a new 110-point solution to be bolted onto the top of its existing converged voice and data network.
Peter Mac is the nation's only hospital solely dedicated to cancer, seeing more than 190,000 outpatients and almost 20,000 inpatients in financial year 04/05.
The centre will shortly replace "an ageing wireless network" with a modern solution, according to a statement issued today by the project's vendor Nortel.
"Over the past three years we've been building a highly specialised communications infrastructure with Nortel, and rolling out advanced telephony and data services that deliver real-world benefits to our users," said Peter Mac's network administrator Brad Longmuir in the statement.
"The new wireless network is the next logical step, making it possible to complement the wireless voice services we've already implemented with secure data -- and possibly video -- services, and supporting new mobile medical applications critical to improving patient care."
The statement said the implementation was due to start in the next three months and be finished by next year. Peter Mac is using the following Nortel products:
- 2330 access points
- two 2380 security switches
- 2300 management software
Longmuir said with the old network, it was "almost impossible" to predict signal strength in different parts of the hospital, or to troubleshoot signal problems using doctors' own equipment.
"The new network will give us a major lift in terms of quality of service and authentication control, and make it easier to manage and configure the distribution of access points," he added.
ZDNet Australia is seeking further information from Peter Mac.