Meru Networks-Sun Health

Vendor: Meru Networks
Channel Partner: Extreme Integration www.extremeintegration.net 
Customer: Sun Health www.sunhealth.org 
Vertical Markets: Healthcare/Medical
State: Arizona

Technology Used: Meru AP208 Access Point, 3150 Controller, E(Z) RF Application Suite

Solution: Sun Health’s facilities are located in Phoenix, Arizona. The healthcare network is comprised of the Sun Health Boswell Hospital, the Sun Health Del E. Webb Hospital, the Sun Health Research Institute, a nursing school, and a rehabilitation center.

The challenge Sun Health was facing was that their early generation wireless network was unable to provide seamless network coverage. Staff members were constantly worrying about whether they would lose coverage during a critical call or while collecting data. This left the healthcare network unable to take full advantage of the capabilities of new clinical applications and point of care devices. As a result, they began searching for a reliable and pervasive WLAN network.

Sun Health worked with value added reseller Extreme Integration, and chose Meru after evaluating a number of WLAN providers. The Meru WLAN system was deployed throughout the healthcare network, covering an area of 1.2 million square feet and providing wireless Internet access to 3,000 employees and hundreds of patients.

Choosing Meru has proven to be a wise move for Sun Health. The reliable coverage and zero-time handoff mean that dropped and missed calls, which can cause significant problems in a hospital environment, are not issues. The single channel architecture of the Meru WLAN system means it is easy to deploy and simple to manage, and the network can handle a variety of devices simultaneously. The system is capable of supporting all of Sun Health’s users, and is also scalable if user densities happen to increase in the future.

Further details: http://www.merunetworks.com/pdf/casestudies/CS_SunHealth_0208_V1.pdf