PROBLEM: A large Big 12 Conference mid-western university needed a reliable wireless messaging solution to replace their less reliable, obsolete product. The messaging product was utilized for communicating with technicians and campus support staff to alert them of network failures and other events that require immediate attention. This institution utilizes Ipswitch WhatsUp network monitoring software in addition to a desktop messaging interface to send messages to over 100 devices throughout the campus.
The obsolete messaging product was dropping pages, losing connectivity, and provided no fail-over or backup capabilities. It was very difficult to administer and provided no remote administration. In addition, the university also offered a messaging service to technicians and staff on a subscription basis, whereby the university would provide the equipment and connectivity for a monthly fee. With their previous communication platform, customers were extremely dissatisfied with the level of performance and the
university was losing subscribers and significant revenue.
The previous messaging system was purchased from an organization that was no longer in business and consequently the university was not able to receive updates or support for their product. An important selection criterion for replacing the existing system was to purchase a solution from a stable organization with a solid history of product development and an excellent customer support structure. The new system needed to be capable of communicating across multiple wireless protocols and provide back-up capabilities should any of the primary communication methods fail. Additionally, reliability, remote administration, and powerful, easy to use grouping features were essential.
SOLUTION: After an extensive search of various wireless communication platforms, the university unanimously decided to implement HipLink Application Messaging into their communications network. The university was especially impressed not only with the on-line product demonstration but also with the level knowledge in wireless communication technology presented by the Semotus product team. The closest competitor to offer similar functionality proved to be too costly and complicated for the university to implement. HipLink by far offered greater value to the university versus the competition not only in terms of price but also in the flexibility to modularly add features and capabilities as the needs of the university change.
RESULTS: HipLink has become a vital communication tool for the university. Integrated into the Ipswitch network monitoring application and interfacing with more than 100 devices utilizing SNPP, SMTP, TAP, and other wireless communication protocols, HipLink provides a robust, highly reliable wireless communication solution that will enable the university to expand and increase its wireless capabilities as needed while maintaining the highest levels of reliability. With built in message backup, or fail over, critical alerts are guaranteed to be delivered anywhere, all the time.
The ease of installation and deployment of HipLink provided a short learning curve for the university and uninterrupted communications for the field technicians. The remote administration and browser-based client access of HipLink provide additional flexibility and cross platform support for a variety of desktop operating systems, crucial for a university with a wide array of computer platforms within various departments. Now, from anywhere in the university, HipLink administrators and desktop users can log into any desktop and send messages to recipients and conveniently administer their communication system.
Another key benefit of the HipLink software solution is the ability to act as a wireless email gateway, accepting email messages and translating them into wireless messages for delivery to any wireless device. The university acts as a wireless service provider for campus-wide communications, charging subscribers a monthly fee to stay connected to their critical networks and receive HipLink alerts and messages via the email gateway. As a result, the email gateway provides anonymity for confidential recipient contact information and associates each wireless device with a unique email address.
Furthermore, the powerful grouping features of HipLink ensure that all messages are delivered to the right person, on time, every time. Whether a technician changes automatically finds the next available technician and delivers the message. This saves the university time and ensures maximum uptime of all campus systems.
SOLUTION OVERVIEW:
Customer Profile
A large University established in 1869 with over 22,000 students and over 1400 faculty members. Today, the University is one of the nation's leading teaching institutions, and a research leader with projects aimed at broadening knowledge in the sciences and humanities.
Business Requirements
A legacy paging software being used was highly unreliable and had problems with losing connectivity, pages not being delivered and no failover. This resulted in dissatisfied staff members who were customers of the University sponsored service.
The new system needed flexibility for communication across multiple carrier protocols with backup capability to increase reliability with message pass off to the carriers. Remote administration was also required for easier maintenance and advanced grouping functions were essential.
HipLink Solution
- Cost Effective working within the approved budget
- Was easy to install and setup
- Multiple message protocols supported
- Redundancy at carrier and system level
- Email input gateway for accepting emails into HipLink from any application
- Modular design for scalable growth
Key Benefits
- Easy to use and administer
- Smooth integration with University systems
- Grouping ensures messages are delivered to the right person every time
- Saves time and ensures maximum uptime of Campus systems
- Expansion of system is fast and easy