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Powerful Portal: Airnet Technology Featured in Business Publication
January 2007
A port in the storm may describe only one aspect of Airnet Group's many services but it is a dynamic one. The need for the three-year-old company's Disaster Recovery Center was galvanized in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. From that disaster the company developed what Airnet COO Keith Campbell says is a "crisp plan" of how data should be backed up and managed during a crisis. "So many companies just went away," he says of the businesses in the New Orleans area. ?We can absolutely prevent that." Campbell and Jeff Averbeck, founding partner and president, set about to expand an already extensive blend of services to create the most powerful data portal in the Southeast, where corporations can benefit from a secure collocation facility and unlimited bandwidth for Internet connectivity.
Airnet designed and has created a "war room" where teams from companies anywhere in North America can temporarily come in and continue managing their daily business, never skipping a beat, by having their data "back up" here or by having their main computer networks here in Chattanooga?s safe mid-south location.
Why Chattanooga? "Criss-crossing Chattanooga is an extensive railroad system, under which lies a fiber optic network, stretching from coast to coast. We capitalized on that infrastructure with Internet connectivity and added our wireless capabilities to give this city even greater power," says Campbell. "We have an enormous amount of connectivity here - Airnet's facility is actually the on-ramp for the Internet in Chattanooga," he adds, alluding to the large bandwidth the company owns and manages. AT&T and BellSouth have invested in these technologies and have contracts with the company, as do Qwest and Sprint. Aside from wireless Internet connectivity, Airnet offers its customers an array of services that includes audio/video streaming, web hosting, wireless mesh networks and large broadcast e-mail communications.
However, Airnet has only recently become known locally, for what it has been doing so well nationally and for a list of high-profile clients. The entire Republican National Convention was web cast through Airnet offices from the event in Madison Square Garden two years ago. Numerous political campaign organizations are currently customers of Airnet because of the company's capacity to provide this broad range of services. These services allow organizations to sort and customize voter data and develop strategies for communicating with them. Known as microtargeting, it's a powerful tool around election time.
Recently the Chattanooga Airport Authority approached Airnet Group to supply wireless technology to the airport so travelers could connect to the Internet while waiting to catch a plane. ?The response has been overwhelming," according to Campbell. Airport travelers currently claim the access is faster than in Atlanta or Nashville. The CAA now has its own dedicated, secure connection and the rest is open access for travelers.
Customized arrangements are made for most clients, who need secure access, in addition to the general public access areas. "We help our customers define their needs," says Averbeck. After a few brain-storming sessions, special software and hardware applications are developed. Services like voice-over IP, store-and-forward data and micro-targeting may be integrated into the package.
"One of the biggest mistakes companies make is trying to put all their servers and computer equipment in a closet," adds Campbell. "They want a secure environment, but may not have a proper location or adequate facility for it." By creating a world-class data center, small to medium businesses can take advantage of facilities once privy only to large corporate environments. The old bank vault of the former Pioneer Bank, where Airnet is located on Broad Street, serves as the storage facility for, or back-up of, hard or soft copy media?well protected from water, fire or electrical damage. Unique in its location, the 801 Broad Street building itself is situated on two city electrical power grids, one of only three locations in Chattanooga and, "the primary reason Airnet chose to occupy the building," adds Averbeck. Airnet's Data and Disaster Recovery Center boasts triple redundency in power and environmentals (constant regulated temperatures throughout). "A company's data is the lifeline of their business," explains Campbell. "We take that very seriously." Integrating people and technology is a constant theme for Airnet. Local government and large private enterprise take advantage of these capabilities and of the expert staff. Company professionals often serve as project consultants, suggesting ways to redesign or improve networks. And, although Airnet is growing steadily, the management wants controlled growth. At this time the company has 15 employees, some "amazing people," as Campbell puts it.
As Chattanooga's recreation venues have been developed and the city's renaissance has rolled on, the company has been a great resource. The wireless network Airnet established in Coolidge Park, Finley Stadium, Miller Park, the Riverfront, Frazier Avenue and the Bluff View Art District is only the beginning. Someday soon, Chattanooga will be under Airnet's wireless mesh network that will make the city a powerful location and a venue ahead of major metropolitan areas. Airnet's executives say commitment to personal and professional integrity prevents them from compromising Internet security and keeps them looking for the best in data problem-solving strategies. "The reason we exist is we have customers who believe in us," says Averbeck. "We give them a great deal more than they expect." -Deborah Petticord
