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Maxwell solves connectivity challenge for MEI Construction & Services


Johannesburg, 16 Oct 2012

Maxwell Technology has implemented its SkyeMax satellite broadband solution to provide connectivity to the MEI Construction & Services team on site at the Kusile power station. As one of the contractors on this massive project, MEI Construction & Services has a key role to play in ensuring South Africa's power-generation needs are met. The Kusile site covers 5 200 acres on what was formerly agricultural land in the Delmas area of Mpumalanga.

"It's a remote area and connectivity via the Telkom infrastructure was not available," says Yegan Moopen, managing member at MEI Construction & Services. "It's vital that our people on site can connect easily and reliably to our head office in Johannesburg. For one thing, we are managing a large labour force and therefore time and attendance records need to be uploaded timeously so we can run accurate payrolls. We also need to be able to interact with our clients and suppliers speedily."

After looking at various options, Moopen decided to go the satellite plus Mountain Box route as it was able to provide the needed connectivity quickly, was more reliable than the cellular connection, and did not require a lengthy contract. The solution chosen was the SkyeMax product from Maxwell Technologies, a subsidiary of Barnstone, in combination with the Mountain Box product manufactured by 5th Mountain Networks.

SkyeMax offers satellite broadband connectivity at affordable rates across Africa. Only a satellite dish is required, and the basic service fee includes the first gigabit of data. Top-ups can be purchased easily, and unused capacity rolled over into the following month, making it a very flexible option.

Maxwell Technologies partnered with 5th Mountain Networks, which supplied its Mountain Box, a network appliance that virtualises the wide-area network, allowing it to be managed as a highly secure whole. Mountain Box also offers other features, such as a firewall, IDS/IPS and content-filtering. With one Mountain Box onsite and one at MEI Construction & Services' headquarters, a virtual private network was created to provide secure connectivity and simultaneous Internet access. MEI Construction & Services has been able to access and fine-tune its Internet usage policy and spend based on the reporting tools of the Mountain Box.

"This is a great example of how SkyeMax can provide reliable, high-speed communication to a remote site very rapidly," says Kallie Carlsen, technical director at Maxwell Technologies. "When it's coupled with a user-friendly appliance like Mountain Box, you have a solution that is easy to manage and offers the security an enterprise needs."

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Maxwell Technology

Maxwell Technology, a subsidiary of Barnstone Corporate Holdings, provides last-mile connectivity solutions. Its experienced team has implemented communication and technology solutions in some of the most remote parts of Africa.

In South Africa, Maxwell has implemented various connectivity solutions in under-serviced areas, which encompasses wireless networking solutions for tele-radiology clients and VSAT communication solutions and cabling for many international and South African mining and engineering companies.

Maxwell Technology implements solutions based on combinations of the following technologies: satellite communications, wireless connectivity, networking solutions, VOIP solutions, surveillance solutions and information technology.

Editorial contacts

Rebecca Warsop
Warstreet Marketing
(083) 252 9347
rebeccaw@warstreet.co.za