The 2002 USTA Boys 18 & 16s Super National Tennis Championships will use wireless technology provided by Secant Technologies to power their communications this year.

Secant is installing four Compaq EVO computers and one Cisco network switch in the Markin Racquet Center to provide players with on-line web registration for the tournament. They are also installing a Cisco Aironet wireless access point in the Racquet Center to provide wireless web access for two laptop PCs. One laptop PC, with a wireless access card, will be used to upload digital photos of the players, taken during registration, to the USTA Boys? Super Nationals website. The second laptop PC will be used to upload stories and provide real-time scoring updates over the internet during the tournament. A second wireless access point has been installed by Kalamazoo College?s IT Department. This will provide the Media Center at Stowe Tennis Stadium with wireless internet access. AM-590 WKZO will also use a wireless access point to communicate with their studio personnel during the live remotes at Stowe during tournament week.

Secant has also coordinated with Western Michigan University?s Office of Information Technology to provide the laptop PCs wireless internet access at WMU?s tennis courts during the tournament. Secant Technologies assisted WMU with the installation of wireless access points and antennas as part of WMU?s wireless initiative. The University has received the designation as the largest wireless campus in the nation.

Secant Technologies has over 15 years of experience providing strategic computer technology solutions for commercial, education and government clients in Southwest Michigan. From computer network consulting, design, installation and management to cabling and wireless, they deliver complete LAN and WAN solutions.

Two other tournament sponsors have contributed to this year's technology initiative.

Granite Solutions has introduced ecommerce additions to the web site, including a college coach?s registration. They also have provided their expertise in setting up an email server for USTA tournament staff with the @ustaboys.com email addresses. The server has proven to be a very cost effective means of contacting collegiate tennis programs and sending to newspapers throughout the country a link to the website to bookmark.

Founded in 1996, Granite Solutions works with clients across the State of Michigan and the Midwest, focusing on needs based application development for business, non-profit, and education.

Longtime tournament sponsor Nucleus Communications has been instrumental in coordinating these innovations through their design of the tournament website. Their involvement began six years ago when the first website was launched. Annual improvements have kept the site fresh, leading to more than 15,000 visits to the site over the course of the 10 day Championships.

Source: Colette Lewis (Tournament Office)