Broadcom > Case Studies > Wireless Network Creates Opportunities for a Company on the Go

Wireless Network Creates Opportunities for a Company on the Go

Customer Company Size

Mid-size Company

Region

Europe

Country

Italy

Product

Brocade Mobility RFS6000 Controller
Brocade Mobility Access Points

Tech Stack

Wireless Network
RADIUS with proprietary certificates
WPA2 encryption

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Productivity Improvements
Cost Savings

Technology Category

Networks & Connectivity - WiFi

Applicable Industries

Aerospace

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Fleet Management
Remote Asset Management

Services

System Integration

About The Customer

Neos Airlines is a leader in the Italian tourism and leisure market, operating flights throughout southern Europe and the world from its main base at Malpensa International Airport in Milan, as well as hubs in Bologna, Verona, and Rome. The airline has experienced tremendous growth since launching in 2002. With 150 employees at its Milan headquarters, and an additional 50 people on 24-hour rotation at Malpensa International Airport, the airline must ensure that all of its staff can readily access mission critical applications. These applications range from enterprise applications such as e-mail, to applications that enable crews to track airplanes and maintenance teams to inventory and manage spare parts. The airline operates in a fast-paced and operationally intensive industry where access to information and real-time communications are vital.

The Challenge

Neos Airlines, based in Milan, Italy, operates flights throughout southern Europe and the world. With 150 employees at its Milan headquarters, and an additional 50 people on 24-hour rotation at Malpensa International Airport, the airline must ensure that all of its staff can readily access mission critical applications. From access to enterprise applications such as e-mail, to applications that enable crews to track airplanes and maintenance teams to inventory and manage spare parts, Neos Airlines employees need to be as mobile as the planes they are operating. The financial impact associated with late plane departures or delays in maintenance can be significant, with downtime costing up to $15,000 per hour for each aircraft in the fleet. Because Neos Airlines’ network supports access to the spare parts database, e-mail, aircraft movements, and Internet access for field engineers, network uptime is essential to both daily operations and the bottom line.

The Solution

Neos Airlines selected Brocade® Mobility solutions based upon their ability to provide greater flexibility to employees and secure access to network resources. With Brocade the Mobility RFS6000 Controller and Brocade Mobility Access Points, the airline can deliver secure mobile access while gaining resiliency since it can use the wireless network as a backup in case the wired network goes down. To meet security requirements, Neos Airlines has used secure policies to establish Wireless LAN (WLAN) security zones to segregate sensitive corporate data from the public access—a key requirement for the Brocade solution. In addition, the airline has implemented RADIUS with proprietary certificates and WPA2 encryption. The deployment of the Brocade wireless network was seamless, compliant with regulatory requirements, and is expected to achieve a full return on investment within the first 12 months.

Operational Impact

Increased staff productivity with real-time access to information in the field
Enhanced the learning experience and improved training through the flexibility to work anywhere
Minimized downtime, which can cost $15,000 per hour per aircraft, through higher levels of network resiliency
Ensured compliance with aviation agency security requirements and protected critical information through robust security features

Quantitative Benefit