Free Space Optics Networking System Provides a Flexible, Reliable, and Secure
High-Bandwidth, 1.25 Gbps Solution to Southern Arizona’s Largest Hospital

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., July 23, 2007 – Robust data networks are an essential part of modern medical care. This is why Tucson Medical Center (TMC), the largest hospital in Southern Arizona and one of the 300 largest in the nation, chose the Canobeam DT-130 wireless optical Gigabit Ethernet data-transmission system to serve the networking demands of TMC’s sprawling campus.

Canobeam, from Canon U.S.A., Inc., uses a line-of-sight beam of infrared light to transmit high-bandwidth data wirelessly via Free Space Optics technology. Since radio waves are not employed, setting up a Canobeam does not require frequency coordination or licenses. Set-up is quick and the line-of-sight nature of Free Space Optics ensures that data is virtually immune from interception, an important consideration in transmitting medical records securely.

“Our networking mandate is ‘always up’,” said James Kemery, network engineer and senior systems application analyst for TMC. “As our campus has expanded, Canobeam offers a unique solution that provides us with high bandwidth. It is a highly dependable device from a manufacturer that we can rely on, and it is secure and easy to manage. It has been a great asset to us.”

With more than one-million square feet in TMC’s central site, multiple other facilities throughout Tucson, and the construction of TMC’s new Atrium Building in progress, Kemery and his team were faced with a data-networking challenge. Even though the new construction was merely 500 yards away from the Main Campus, two non-TMC buildings in between the two sites presented multiple complications for connectivity that the Canobeam DT-130 was well suited for solving.

With matching Canobeam DT-130 transceivers positioned on each building’s roof, TMC established a powerful and reliable data-networking link in a very short period of time. “We had six months to complete this connection to the Atrium Building, which is the home of our vitally important enterprise-wide scheduling department,” Kemery explained. “Negotiations to lay down fiber under the properties would have taken years. The bandwidth simply was not there with RF, and multiple T1 lines would have had very high recurring costs. With its ability to provide up to 1.25 Gbps to support our Ethernet network, the Canon DT-130 Canobeam fit our needs perfectly. Our Canobeam units are extremely easy to set up and subsequently manage. They have been very dependable and the service and support has been excellent.”

The Canon Canobeam DT-130, one of three models in the Canobeam line, offers data rates of up to 1.25Gbps for Gigabit Ethernet networking at a range of 100m to 1,000m (more than half a mile). The Canobeam DT-130 also incorporates a 3R Function (reshaping, retiming, and regenerating), which allows its data signal to be relayed without loss of strength or quality. The Canobeam DT-110 delivers a wide range of data speeds from 25Mbps to 156Mbps at a range from 20m to 500m. The Canobeam DT-120 provides the same data speeds as the DT-110, but at a range of approximately 100 meters to 2km (1.24 miles).

All Canobeam systems feature built-in Auto Tracking that automatically adjusts the Free Space Optics light beam to compensate for even the slightest vibrations in the installation base that are caused by wind or weather. Auto Tracking continually self-corrects Canobeam's optical beam axis, maintaining precise and reliable data transmission at all times. Canon is the only manufacturer to offer Auto Tracking as a standard feature at price points that are highly competitive with systems that do not offer tracking as standard equipment.

All three DT-100 series Canobeams now feature Small Form Pluggable (SFP) fiber interface connections. Another standard feature in all DT-100 series Canobeam models is Canobeam's DT-MNG-100 Management Board, which enables users to monitor the status of Canobeam transceivers via simple network management protocol (SNMP) or Telnet (for monitoring and setting). In addition, diagnostic logs can be stored in a PC via FTP (for log data transmission).

“DT-100 series Canobeams are used by a wide range of organizations needing fast, reliable, secure and affordable wide-bandwidth data transmission solutions,” said Gordon Tubbs, director, Broadcast and Communications division, Canon U.S.A. “As the expectations for network performance continue to escalate, Our Canobeam wireless optical networking systems are a uniquely versatile tool that more and more administrators are finding that they can rely on.”

“The demand for dependable, high-capacity networking increases every day – it never stops,” Kemery noted. “TMC is building out its own networks with products that are successful, and Canon stands behind their products and supports them. The confidence that Canobeam brings us is very important.”

For more information about the Canobeam product line, please call the Canon Broadcast and Communications Division at 1-800-321-4388.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The company is listed as one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies in America and is on the 2006 BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands.” Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), is a top patent holder of technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in 2006†, with global revenues of $34.9 billion. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/pressroom.

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†IFI Patent Intelligence, January 11, 2007