Since 1999, Solutions I.T has been part of many large projects but none so critical than that of Warmun Community Project.
During the wet season, the Warmun Community in the Kimberley area of Western Australia experienced the worst rains in its living memory. Although no lives were lost, the result was that more than 80% per cent of the buildings in the town were destroyed or significantly damaged. It was described as a war zone. Families were uprooted and displaced. It was a devastating blow to the community.
Shortly after the flood, the rebuilding commenced. Solutions I.T was contracted to deploy the entire I.T and communication infrastructure for the Community. It was a significant piece of work that had a very tight timeframe.
Working alongside other key contractors, Solutions I.T visited the site to consult with the community and scope out the project. Key buildings within the community included the Health Clinic, the Aged Care Facility, Council Offices, the Early Learning Centre and the new Warmun Art Centre. Solutions I.T was responsible to ensure that these key pillars had the necessary I.T and communication infrastructure.
The Project Plan was delivered shortly after which included detail on the proposed infrastructure, cabling and all hardware and software needed. Solutions I.T liaised with Telstra to provide a 4Mbps fibre optic connection to be utilised for Internet and voice and around this, completely re-built the I.T and communication systems for the Community.
A Cisco solution was deployed for all the routing, switching, Voip and wireless requirements. Point to multi-point wireless bridging solutions were also deployed connecting various buildings separated by distances and obstacles such as roads that made a traditional cabled solutions not feasible. Buildings within a closer proximity were connected via fibre optic cabling allowing all key buildings in the community to be inter-connected into a Local Area Network providing fast reliable wired and wireless connectivity to network resources and the phone system.
Solutions I.T installed and configured a Server running Microsoft Server 2012 and configured active directory/group policies/profiles and user accounts. They configured file shares, permissions, and migrated key software that the community needed. In the event of power failure, an uninterruptible power supply was installed.
Throughout the entire community, desktop computers, laptops, printers and multi-function units were set up and joined to the domain.
To complete the project, a full set of documentation was given at handover as well as training sessions to ensure that the users had a full understanding of the network and phone system. In addition to the urgently required deliverables and training, Solutions I.T also submitted some other options for the community to consider at a later date (video conference, offsite back up and ongoing support options).
The project was completed on budget, on time. The infrastructure was rebuilt and the community was able to rebuild and evolve. Today, the Warmun community has infrastructure that is more able to counter extreme weather events, has better assets, new homes and a preserved cultural heritage. The community also boasts a robust I.T and communication infrastructure and a result, Solutions I.T are proud contributors to the vibrant and happy community that exists today.