The mission of Piper Aircraft, manufacturer of the legendary Piper Cub, is to give everyone 'the freedom of flight.' In order to complete this mission, they have had to free themselves by implementing a thin client network solution provided by IGEL and integrator Champion Solutions Group.

According to Champion’s Tim Rustan, Piper faced some very serious issues when it came to operating PCs in a manufacturing plant environment. The metallic dust from various aircraft parts wreaked such havoc with Piper’s PCs that they became disabled. In fact, after three tries with various suppliers, the only apparent solution was to move the PCs to another building. This less-than-ideal scenario was a detriment to productivity and efficiency.

Enter Rustan and his experience with IGEL thin clients. Piper selected IGEL to produce rugged and completely sealed devices that could survive the harsh environment of the manufacturing floor, while offering a wireless solution that was easy to implement. According to Rustan, Piper wanted a simple solution that worked, and did not want to get into all the 'feeds and speeds' associated with the migration from legacy systems.

For Rustan, one of the joys of working with IGEL is its ability to 'dumb down' the process, providing a virtual plug-and-play scenario where the customer 'pulls it out of the box and it just works.' This is also enhanced by IGEL’s flexibility and ability to see solutions from the enduser perspective. Or as Rustan relates, 'IGEL thinks like large company, but acts like a small company in that there is less red tape. So it is just easy to get things done.'

He also appreciates that his customers get the same expertise, service and support regardless of the number of thin clients they purchase. In fact, while the deployment of the Piper solution was plug and play, the preloaded wireless functionality demanded customized development. And, according to Rustan, the remote management capabilities took administration to new heights.

Piper also liked the idea that IGEL’s research facility happened to be local with a solid reputation for responding to customer needs. However, this customer would have been served equally well, regardless of location.

From a business - and personal perspective, Tim Rustan feels IGEL has no peer in the thin client space. 'They are innovative, flexible and extremely responsive. And obviously, I would not deal with an organization that is not profitable for my company and me. But besides the bottom line, IGEL makes it easier for me to do my job, just by taking certain things off my plate.'


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