Cisco and HP announced today that Québec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport (Aéroport de Québec) has completed the modernization of its airport terminal using solutions from the two companies. The airport’s deployment integrates Cisco network infrastructure and Cisco mobility and Unified Communications solutions to improve travellers’ experiences and draw more travellers to Québec City. HP served as the end-to-end systems integrator for these solutions and will provide ongoing support for the network infrastructure.

The
new network infrastructure helps support the airport’s vision for a
modern, agile facility at a time when increasing air traffic is flying
into and out of Quebec City. To bring its vision to life, the airport
is implementing a “passenger first” strategy to help airlines
streamline operations, such as baggage and personal check-in.



Acknowledging
the rising demands placed on its operations, Aéroport de Québec
conducted a technology-based makeover that involved rebuilding the main
terminal and helping to ensure mobile collaboration between users,
devices, critical applications and airport systems. The collaboration
between Cisco and HP helped Aéroport de Québec convert the airport’s
vision into a live, functional deployment in less than one year.



Aéroport
de Québec accommodates more than 1 million passengers annually. It
supports nearly 400 flights a week to destinations in North America,
South America and Europe.



In its
preparation for Québec City’s 400th anniversary celebration last
summer, the airport deployed an 802.11n wireless network from Cisco
that helped provide a foundation for the airport’s transformation in
several areas:



•
Updating passenger service at the counter. Using mobile networking
technology from Cisco and implementation services from HP, Aéroport de
Québec transformed the airline counters into more flexible, common-use
stations that multiple airlines can use to manage passenger traffic and
streamline the boarding process.



•
Improved communication between all mobile airline employees. With help
from HP, Aéroport de Québec deployed a unified wired and wireless Cisco
network infrastructure along with Cisco Unified Communications Manager,
all of which easily allows airline personnel to log in to their
telephony profiles on Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phones and remain
connected throughout the airport.



• Free
Wi-Fi for travellers to stay connected. The airport’s network provides
passengers with free Wi-Fi guest access so they can stay connected to
the Internet while waiting for their flights.



“Using
an IP-enabled wireless network with next-generation 802.11n performance
allows airport staff to access applications anywhere in the airport
faster than older wireless networks,” said Pascal Bélanger, president
and COO of the airport. “Runways, for instance, can be prepared faster,
reducing the need for airlines to circle around the airport. While this
type of communication remains invisible to passengers, it is crucial to
providing high-quality service.”