Scott Dobson, Managing Director of Cloud Distribution comments “Sue Ryder wanted to offer patients wireless internet access whilst undergoing palliative or neurological treatments in its residential care centres and hospices. It also wanted staff and patients to be able to access the wireless network simultaneously, without any risk to secure information or confidential patient records.”
Offering wireless internet access was a central concern for Sue Ryder because the team felt it was important for patients to have outside contact and mobile wireless access; to be able to move around rather than be restrained by a static point. Using Skype and social media channels would allow patients to keep in touch with family and friends Sue Ryder’s solution needed to provide a robust and quick connection- the faster the access the better- to ensure that patients could access the internet as efficiently as possible. It is also essential for the solution to be strong because many of Sue Ryder’s sites are remote and risk dropped connections if the technology is not robust enough.
Fin Bavidge, co-founder of Ecologic, comments,“Meraki’s ease of configuration and management made it a safe and reliable choice for Sue Ryder, as it has these capabilities without compromising on performance. The ability for users to move from site to site without needing to reconfigure the wireless key to access the network was also a strong benefit because many of the charity’s staff transfer between sites which are located all over the UK.”
Initially Sue Ryder purchased 90 Meraki MR 16 access points which are due to be fully deployed by the end of March 2013. It plans to more than double this amount to 200 and is currently working on securing the funds to ensure that every site has wireless access by the end of next year. Sue Ryder is confident that Meraki will help its facilities to sustain staff and patient satisfaction, by providing the former with real-time access to patient records at the bed side and the latter with high quality and reliable internet connectivity. David Ripper, Head of IT at Sue Ryder, concludes:
“Lots of our patients were requesting internet access as it is an invaluable benefit for those that can be with us for days, weeks or even months. Meraki was the right choice for us because patients and staff can access the internet at the same time and it offers the perfect balance between affordability and performance. What sealed the deal was the technology’s security capabilities, ease of use and great value for money.”