U.S. Military Academy at West Point Selects SMC As Wireless Networking Provider

SMC Networks announced that its 802.11a wireless networking products have been selected by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for its wireless classrooms project. SMC2755W EZ Connect 802.11a Wireless Access Points and SMC2735W EZ Connect 802.11a Wireless CardBus Adapters are being used to connect students and faculty campus-wide. While currently in pilot phase, West Point has installed access points in more than 350 classrooms and labs, and has approximately 450 participants in Mathematics and English classes connecting to the network using notebook computers in classrooms. Beginning next semester, the entire incoming freshman class of 2007 will be issued notebook computers outfitted with 802.11a adapters for wireless network access in classrooms. Class of 2006 students will have the option to upgrade their notebook computers with SMC2735W EZ Connect 802.11a Wireless CardBus Adapters sold at the campus bookstore.

Col. Donald J. Welch, West Point's Associate Dean for Information and Educational Technology, says that 802.11a matched their requirements for a wireless solution in security, range and speed. "Since we're using this as an active part of classroom learning, we need bandwidth. One thousand cadets starting English classes at 7:30 each morning will all connect at the same time to access the same activities and information from multiple classrooms," said Welch. "802.11a provides more bandwidth per access than 802.11b, and its shorter range means that we can effectively divide access, roughly by classroom. There's less overlap."

"West Point is literally blazing the trail when it comes to leveraging technology in education, and this wireless classroom network project is not the first example," said Tom Rizol, SMC Networks' Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "They networked classroom computers, wired dorms and installed Broadband connections in the 1980s."

SMC works closely with resellers in its strong network of Authorized Government Sales Partners on projects for Federal, State and Local government clients, including the West Point wireless classroom project and numerous others.