Marina Point-to-Point WiFi Solution (Case Study)

Marina Point-to-Point WiFi Solution (Case Study)

The family run Hartlepool Marina is one of the biggest and most prestigious marinas on the east coast of England. Open 365 days of the year, employing 15 people, the Marina has 350 annual berth holders, including dozens of boat owners who live on their vessels, and an extra 500 boats who dock each year from other parts of the UK, Europe and further afield.

The Challenge

As a customer focused organisation, Hartlepool Marina strives continuously to improve the experience for people who berth on the Marina. Today’s boat owners have high expectations and this includes being able to access secure, high speed broadband and Wi-Fi when they are at berth. This is essential to enable access to email and the internet and to be able to update their navigation charts and various onboard instruments as well as work remotely for those who choose to work afloat. Even being able to check Facebook updates or download a film from Netflix is rather swiftly becoming a necessity for recreational boaters.

Keen to ensure Hartlepool Marina remains at the top of the list for boat owners seeking places to berth, the company set about finding a Wi-Fi and broadband solution that would meet and exceed customer expectations.

The Solution

Hartlepool Marina engaged High Tide to devise a solution that would meet its bespoke needs.

We did this by installing our ‘Point to Point’ system. This Wi-Fi and broadband system transmits data with maximum reliability, even under the harshest conditions and even in non-line-of-sight situations, which is particularly important for boat owners who could be trying to connect whilst below deck.

As the wireless Wi-Fi hotspot emanates from Hartlepool Marina’s office, this means we didn’t need to lay any cables, saving time and money, and we were able to configure the Wi-Fi so the Marina can specify who connects. This is important as whilst there will be a period of free Wi-Fi access, the Marina is keen for it to also become a source of extra revenue that could be put back into the visitor experience.

As well as the Wi-Fi and broadband, we are also addressing other internal networking needs the Marina has, including installing an internet-based telephony system using Voice Over IP (VOIP), Wi-Fi HD security cameras and an EPOS system. We are also moving them to cloud-based communications solutions.

The Results

The Point to Point system now means that whether you are the owner of a small fishing boat berthed at Hartlepool Marina or the owner of a multi-million pound yacht, you are now able to access superfast broadband – or ‘On-board Band’ as it is now being marketed by the Marina – either above or below deck..

Adam Henderson, Director of Hartlepool Marina, said: “High Tide has come up with a solution that exactly meets all our requirements and they did this without any typical hard and fast sales approach, but by getting to know us and understanding our business.

“They approached the challenge in a smart way, always seeking out the most cost effective arrangement without sacrificing results. The team at High tide professionally led us, each step of the way from vision to reality, helping us explore, and get to, where we wanted to go. As a result of working with them we are not scared of technology anymore, in fact we are now keen to embrace technology even further in the future, and be seen as a leader in our field.”