Projects

The following descriptions provide a brief sampling of the types of projects our consultants have completed. For more details about a particular project or to request references, contact us.

To view descriptions of a particular type of project, use the links below.

Technology Planning Projects                   Technology Assessment and Plan               Client: Very large school district               Project: Review the status of technology used by a very large school district in Texas (including all schools and support facilities) and create a report of the findings. Following the assessment, work with the district to create a ten-year technology plan.             Solution: Through a series of interviews, focus groups, and site reviews, a team of E&A consultants created a very extensive background analysis of needs related to upgrading technology throughout this district of 60,000 students and 70 buildings. The plan included budget estimates and was used as a foundation for all future improvements involving technology.

Distance Education Network Rebuild Plan               Client: Technical college               Project: Develop a plan to completely revamp and upgrade the distance education network for a six-campus college in Wisconsin, replacing an aging ITFS system.             Solution: E&A's recommended solution resulted in a design to upgrade to a new QoS-based WAN utilizing multiple T-1 circuits, 30 codecs, and an IP-based MCU. The installation was planned and then executed during the summer months, to allow training on the technology during the college's down time.

Technology Upgrade Assessment               Client: Healthcare center               Project: Conduct a technology analysis, with a focus on upgrading existing facilities, including wireless, multimedia, access to records, security, and video conferencing.             Solution: Through an extensive interview and inspection process, E&A evaluated the network and telecommunication in this health care facility and provided a report of findings and recommendations for administrative planning and budgeting. The recommendations included plans for in-building wireless, desktop conferencing, enhanced network security, and remote access for staff.

Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Plan               Client: National communications firm               Project: Develop the technology portion of a recovery plan for a national communications firm, with a focus on its switching centers.             Solution: E&A conducted on-site visits at multiple locations throughout the United States and facilitated in-depth interviews of technical staff. Using this information, we developed a formal report of findings and system recommendations related to the communications strategy.

Infrastructure Projects                   Cabling System for County Government Support Building               Client: County government               Project: Develop a plan for all telecommunications cabling and fiber optics systems to support a new three-story office building for a Minnesota county.             Solution: E&A consultants provided a complete design, bid documents, and contract administration for this building, and created a system to offer a flexible voice, video, and network distribution system meeting EIA/TIA-568B standards.

Smart Classroom and Cabling System Infrastructure Design               Client: University               Project: Develop specifications for a complete low voltage wiring system for two new classroom buildings, in addition to smart classroom technology for all lecture spaces at a Missouri university.             Solution: E&A created specifications for the infrastructure system. As a second project for the same university, E&A designers created a fiber, coax, and Category 5e cabling system, plus a custom design for smart classrooms. The project was bid and interfaces established to ensure successful integration with campus systems.

Residence Hall Technology Upgrade               Client: University residence hall community               Project: Review the technology infrastructure necessary to support a student residence community at an Illinois university (a $4 million project).             Solution: E&A consultants conducted a complete review of the campus's technology infrastructure needs and created detailed bid specifications for the project. The resulting project included a complete campus delivery system of fiber optics and a residence hall television headend. The work covered two summers, to reduce the impact on students. Every student room was provided a voice, two data, and one television outlet. The new television headend and system allowed the campus a fifty percent reduction in television signal costs.

Networking Projects                   Community-Wide Fiber Optics System               Client: Private residential community               Project: Design a community-wide fiber optics broadband delivery system offering voice, video, and high-speed Internet services to homes, apartments, and public areas, plus a theater and community room multimedia system.             Solution: E&A created a design for the system, which consists of an on-premise voice switch, television headend, and Internet provisioning. The multimedia theater has fixed seating and offers surround sound, touch screen control, and even a snack station.

Metropolitan Area (Fiber) Network               Client: Large school district               Project: Design a broadband inter-district MAN to support voice, video, and data for a Texas school district (a $2+ million project).             Solution: E&A designers created a fiber optic network with a distribution point at each high school, interconnecting fiber to all other buildings. Bid documents allowed for either a leased or owned network, resulting in a multi-year lease with very favorable terms.

Wireless Network Grant and Construction               Client: City community               Project: Develop a grant for a wireless community network in a Texas city.             Solution: E&A developed the grant for the network, which was proposed to provide DSL-like services to local businesses and organizations. After writing a successful grant, E&A then began an RFP to contract with a company to create the necessary infrastructure. The selected solution was a wireless ISP providing 20 Mbps services to two areas (each one a 5-mile radius surrounding a water tower).

City-Wide MAN and Building Technology               Client: City and school system               Project: Develop a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) to serve the city and school system in a growing Minnesota community.             Solution: E&A consultants developed a fiber optic MAN connecting 19 buildings and associated in-building LANs to offer staff and students the opportunity to share voice, video, and computer networks anywhere within any building. In addition, the network will be used to interconnect traffic lights, the local college, and security cameras, with little concern over bandwidth.

Voice Projects                   VoIP Telephone System               Client: Large school district               Project: Develop a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) system to support over 1,100 phones, operating via an existing fiber optic MAN supporting 24 buildings.             Solution: E&A developed a complete design for the system. We then coordinated the bid process, which allowed the district to acquire the services of a qualified contractor at the lowest price. E&A then oversaw installation and cutover of the new system.

Technology Systems Design for State Lab Building               Client: State government               Project: Design a technology system (including voice, network, all low-voltage wiring systems, multimedia, and wireless) to support operations in a new laboratory building in a Midwestern city.             Solution: E&A created a design using AIA standard procedures. We have also created all necessary bid documents for the project, to offer a fully integrated technology solution.

Administrative Center Phone System               Client: Nonprofit organization               Project: Design a new phone system to meet all the voice needs of the organization's administrative center (including local and long distance calling, call center, voicemail, and in-building paging).             Solution: E&A's project design team met with the administrative and planning team to discuss options for the new center. We developed a design and then wrote and released an RFP. After the organization awarded a contract, E&A was on-site during installation to ensure a successful cutover.

Multimedia Projects                   Distance Learning Network               Client: School district               Project: Establish a means of interconnecting two high schools, an alternative high school, and a local consortium.             Solution: This project involved creating three distance learning rooms capable of using either a local consortium T-1 network or the school's fiber network to intercommunicate and share instructional resources. The previously installed fiber optic MAN, in combination with a state-offered T-1 service, created an individualized custom network.

Special Events Center               Client: Very large school district               Project: Provide the technology program and design consulting services for an 8,000-seat special events conference center and arena.             Solution: The 190,000 square foot multi-use building was designed to serve the needs of the school district and the community, and will accommodate the area’s convocations, sporting events, special event performances, teacher in-service activities, and national and regional tournaments. The facility includes an 8,000 square foot ballroom that is divisible into eight smaller meeting rooms, a 125-seat tiered lecture hall, and additional meeting and conference rooms. Technologies include the sound system for the main arena, a color LED video matrix scoreboard, meeting room audio/video systems, video production and broadcast connectivity, and a unified control system for all technologies. The facility’s main equipment room also serves as a district-wide hub for the metropolitan area network.

Television Studio and Editing Suite               Client: School district               Project: Design a complete television studio system, editing bay, and multimedia system, including interface with the architect to create all physical facilities.             Solution: E&A created a design using the latest in digital technology, with upgrade capability built in.

Residence Hall Television System               Client: Large university               Project: Work with a university to replace its residence hall television system. In doing so, also educate the university staff and handle the bid process for procurement.             Solution: E&A conducted a training session with university staff, coordinated a search for alternatives, and determined the available solutions. We then worked with the university to select a plan of action. E&A developed an RFP, and the bid process resulted in selecting a contractor to provide and install a private cable operation that the university now operates.

City Council Chambers Upgrade               Client: Local government organization               Project: Establish a plan to upgrade the city council chambers, with a focus on better sound, graphic presentation, and television broadcasts via cable TV and streaming at a large city in Illinois and another in Minnesota.             Solution: E&A created a program report and submitted a final detailed design, which was approved by the full council. The bid was let and a vendor was selected to complete the work. E&A conducted regular site visits to ensure that the program was completed as planned.

Security & Public Safety Projects                   Security Analysis and Plan for a Water Treatment Plant               Client: Large city               Project: Conduct a vulnerability assessment and create an emergency operations plan for a water treatment and distribution facility in a large city.             Solution: E&A consultants were awarded the contract to complete the assessment and plan. In the assessment, we used Sandia Labs methodology to focus on threats, consequences, critical functions, and potential attacks to public systems. The plan offers the city a detailed series of steps to move towards a more secure environment.

Electronic Jail Visitation System               Client: County government               Project: Develop a video-based jail visitation system customized to the needs of a particular county in Wisconsin.             Solution: E&A developed a system that replaced face-to-face meetings through glass with a system of cameras, monitors, and phones, thereby reducing staff needs and enhancing security for the jail. The system also allows an incarcerated person to be arraigned before a judge for his or her initial appearance without a guard transporting the individual.

CAD/RMS System Design               Client: Large Midwestern county               Project: Create a common system approach to serving multiple communities with a single, cohesive Computer Aided Dispatch system for all emergency services county-wide.             Solution: E&A consultants are presently in the planning and acquisition role to create the CAD/RMS system. The planning includes necessary interfaces to all existing systems and an upgrade path for the future.

Library and Technology Center               Client: Community and technical college               Project: Develop a technology plan for a new building to support a library and technology center.             Solution: E&A developed a technology plan for the new building, created detailed construction documents for the project, and later provided contract administration for security and other low-voltage infrastructure, including multimedia.