Jan 25, 2016

The preservation of historical sites is an important cultural endeavor for several reasons. It gives us an interactive way to peek through the curtain of time to get a better sense of where we've been. From an educational standpoint, old buildings, monuments and ancient estates serve as destinations that engage and inspire children to learn more about the world in which they live. 

However, in order to create a safe, interactive environment for patrons, management teams at these historical sites must look to forward-thinking technology.

Staff, overseers and patrons need to be connected 

Visitor centers at ancient sites and historical estates are intended to be hubs of information for hundreds or even thousands of guests that pass through on any given day. That said, information listed on plaques may not always suffice for the most inquisitive minds. Scheduled tours and special events may provide a more comprehensive overview; however, these guided explorations of historical locations are not always available. Alternatively, staff might not always have an answer ready for the plethora of questions that might arise. Thus, access to the largest-known database of information – the Internet – can serve as a huge boon for history buffs and high-school history classes alike.

Consider the example of the Chateau de Versailles in France, where staff wanted to provide guests with a tour guide that fits in the palm of a hand, and speaks multiple languages, in the form of a smartphone or other mobile device. This required Wi-Fi that was capable of working across a sprawling area. According to Wi-Fi Planet, the solution presented itself in the form of a wireless mesh network. Guests from all over the world can now tour the grounds with a guide that fits inside of a smartphone. The fact that the mesh nodes used to make this possible were unobtrusive and out of sight was hugely important, as it provided the networking capabilities that staff needed to improve the experience for guests without marring the site's historical beauty with wires and antennas.

Another fascinating benefit of the wireless network is its potential to improve fire protection. The historic, wooden building at Versailles is embedded with a series of sensors that help prevent fires. At the time, management discussed the possibility of tracking these sensors with the wireless network, improving response times to potential problems.  

Thanks to the wireless mesh network, Versailles also found an opportunity to improve security monitoring. Video surveillance is hugely important to a variety of industries, hence projections for itshealthy growth through 2020. By improving its wireless network, Chateau de Versailles security staff were able to start planning for the addition of more video cameras that would make monitoring the expansive grounds easier. Because the network is wireless, installation of these cameras is significantly easier, far less time consuming and considerably less unsightly for visitors.  

Other benefits of wireless mesh networks

The Kilkenny Castle in Ireland - which dates back to the 12th century, and was remodeled in the Victorian era – has three wings, and is large enough that the Office of Public Works plays a role in its management and maintenance. Originally, the staff responsible for overseeing the property during visiting hours had negligible networking capabilities. This made it somewhat difficult for them to access Internet services. In addition to being limited in their ability, as well as the ability of guests, to access Web resources from within the castle, internal communication between staff was primitive. Paul Smith, an OPW employee and IT manager at the site, summed up the castle's file-sharing system as "a piece of paper under their arm". It was obvious that the castle needed an upgrade, however, this was somewhat difficult to accomplish given the fragility of the site.

"We could not go pulling up 12th-century wallpaper to run cables," Smith said.

The solution took the form of a wireless mesh network that involved the installation of inconspicuous mesh nodes on high towers of the castle. Within four days, the entire castle was connected via a reliable Wi-Fi network, creating opportunities to enhance file-sharing and other internal communications.

The main takeaway here is that wireless mesh technology provides a host of benefits – even in perhaps the most unexpected of places. Whether its better internal communications, access to information for guests, fire protection or enhanced security monitoring, wireless mesh has you covered.