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State of Oregon Judicial Department Project Presents a Winning Case for BridgeWave’s GigE Wireless Links to Remove Bandwidth Bottlenecks while Lowering Networking Costs

Santa Clara, CA – October 22, 2007 – BridgeWave Communications, the leading supplier of gigabit wireless solutions, today announced that the State of Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) has deployed BridgeWave AR60 gigabit wireless links to connect its network operations center (NOC) to a high-speed frame relay backbone while achieving fiber-like performance, reliability and security without costly, recurring fees.

The OJD’s IT team supports the evolving business practices and information needs of the state’s Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Tax Court and 36 circuit courts in 27 judicial districts. Technical support for more than 2,000 OJD employees ensures that judges, attorneys, paralegals and administrators can access crucial court documents and case files. The Oregon Judicial Information Network (OJIN) traditionally linked 70 remote sites to its network backbone using a multitude of traditional leased-line T1s. However, continuous expansion, including ubiquitous wireless access and public Internet kiosks in Oregon’s courtrooms as well as ever-expanding file sizes and increased use of video overburdened the slower network connections.

In early 2007, the opportunity to consolidate the OJD’s network operations in a centralized secured facility located a considerable distance from the Supreme Court led to a review of backbone connectivity options. Since the new building lacked access to fiber, the team weighed the costs and constraints of installing a link to a fiber access point. The first option involved trenching to a nearby building, but the short “hop” required a one-time installation charge of $150,000 in addition to $4,800 monthly access fees. The second option, which also was quickly rejected, called for a one-time cost of $250,000 just to dig a one-mile trench to the Supreme Court’s fiber hub.

In seeking a high-speed alternative to costly fiber and low-speed T1s, the OJD briefly considered microwave, point-to-point 54Mbps wireless radios before honing its search on Gigabit wireless. They evaluated BridgeWave’s AR60 product, a GigE link that operates in the license-free 60 GHz frequency range. The bridge also includes a unique AdaptRate™ feature, which momentarily switches from GigE to 100Mbps transmission to ensure continuous operation during intense downpours. Using BridgeWave’s link analysis tool, the OJD determined “five nines” network availability was achievable for the one-mile link. The OJD also was impressed with the inherent security of AR60’s narrow beamwidths, which provided superior interference immunity for transporting sensitive judicial information.

Aided by ezWireless, a Portland, Ore.-based provider of broadband wireless technology solutions, the OJD selected a “double hop” configuration that linked the NOC with the state’s Public Services building a block away, which then connected to the fiber hub at the Supreme Court. The bandwidth increase improved customer support, enabling the OJD to restore a remote desktop in less than five minutes. The future-proof solution also scales easily to meet growing capacity requirements.

The OJD is embarking on a transformation to an all-electronic paper on demand system that will propel the State of Oregon as a technology leader in Court Services. “We are excited about this new technology to help us provide an increase in critical network services while still being good stewards of public funds” says Bud Borja, CIO for the Oregon Judicial Department.

The BridgeWave links have maintained 100 percent network uptime while their ultra low-latency performance paves the way for the OJD’s video applications and an impending move to VoIP. “The performance and cost advantages of GigE wireless over traditional leased-line T1 or fiber-optic based services make them well suited for a wide range of government applications,” says Brad Kincaid, vice president of ezWireless. “The BridgeWave links have worked so well that inquiries are coming in from the state’s legislative branch and neighboring Washington.”

BridgeWave’s high-capacity links are ideally suited to accommodate the OJD’s forward-looking technology plans, which include migration to an electronic, paperless courthouse environment. “Capacity, security, reliability and deployment flexibility are core requirements for government networks,” says Gregg Levin, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for BridgeWave Communications. “BridgeWave’s GigE wireless links are perfect for these environments as they meet all selection criteria and offer a compelling economic value proposition.” In the case of the OJD, the team projected a complete ROI on its BridgeWave links in less than a year.

About BridgeWave Communications
Founded in 1999, BridgeWave Communications is the leading supplier of outdoor Gigabit wireless connectivity solutions. The company’s exclusive AdaptRate™ and AdaptPath™ technologies combined with its advanced Forward Error Correction capability deliver the highest availability at the longest distances for full-rate gigabit links. BridgeWave’s point-to-point, wireless solutions are widely deployed in mainstream enterprise and service provider network applications and are poised to play a key role in the migration to 4G mobile network backhaul. With the largest installed base of GigE radios worldwide, BridgeWave delivers the highest levels of product quality and reliability.