OUR PEOPLE: Morefield Communication's Diamond Milestone

CUSTOM COMMUNICATION: Helping ALSM Answer the Call

IN THE FIELD: Making Health Care Wireless Secure

OUR PEOPLE: Morefield Communication's Diamond Milestone

1945 was an important year. It marked the end of World War II and the beginning of an economic boom in the US. Cars were rolling off production for the first time in nearly four years complete with new options such as the FM radio and automatic transmission. It also marked the birth of Morefield Communications, which like many new businesses started operations from the trunk of a car.

Morefield Communications was founded by John A. Morefield Sr.’s passion for playing the organ and his entrepreneurial spirit. Mr. Morefield played at Hershey sports games, local movie theaters and churches. However, it was in churches that he saw the need for sound systems, pagers and intercoms. He learned by watching, and was soon providing the service to others. Personal interests, new technology and law changes continue to create new avenues of business and expertise for Morefield Communications.

The Seventies
In the early seventies, the telecommunication’s landscape was changed by an FCC ruling which allowed independent companies to install and maintain communication systems for business. These systems grew to be a significant part of Morefield operations.

Outside of the telecommunications industry, the seventies are best remembered for high oil prices, Watergate and television shows like the Charlie’s Angels. It was in this era of bell bottom pants and platform shoes that Bob Minney joined Morefield Communications as a sales representative for Lancaster County. Initially, Minney canvassed his territory in a Plymouth Satellite which was often mistaken for a state trooper. Something he confesses that came in handy when running late for an appointment.

One of Minney’s first customers was Turkey Hill Dairy, famous for their ice cream, based in Conestoga, Lancaster County. His first installation for them involved six outside lines, optional ‘touch tone’ phones and cost $150. Today, Turkey Hill is still an early adopter of new technology and remains a loyal Morefield customer. Technology has moved on from the days of the rotary dial, but Bob’s record keeping has not. His notes and appointments are still kept diligently in his diary. Today, he says, like then, “it’s all about being in front of the customer”.

Celebrating 60

The turbulent nature of the communication and technology industry means that few businesses reach 60 years. The drive to help organizations communicate in smarter yet easier ways has created a lot of complexity. John Morefield, president of Morefield Communications, attributes continued growth to a commitment to the local community, talent of staff and investment in new technology. It is the founder’s passion that created a business, which sixty years later, remains dedicated to providing organizations with the communication technology of today.

Thanks to Gwen Fariss Newman of Connections 2005.

CUSTOM COMMUNICATION: Helping ALSM Answer the Call

Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries (ALSM) is a not-for-profit, charitable organization which was established in the 1940s to serve the retirement needs of the local community. Today ALSM covers an eight county area which includes locations in Hollidaysburg, Johnstown and Pleasant Gap. Annually, it serves over 2000 people in its programs and facilities. This number continues to grow as the generation known as ‘the baby boomers’ reaches retirement age.

Trying to do more with less is a challenge shared by not-for-profits and industry alike. There are new technologies which promise to save money and increase efficiency but overly optimistic claims have done a lot to undermine their credibility. So how does any organization know when to move to a new technology? Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries (ALSM) found that trust helps.

Morefield Communications’ relationship with ALSM began in the early nineties with the installation of a Nortel telephone system at the main facility in Hollidaysburg which was later networked to Nortel systems in the Johnstown and Bedford facilities. More recently Morefield provided communication and access solutions for the building of a new home in Hollidaysburg.
At the Hickory Commons facility in Hollidaysburg, residents in the Independent Living Program choose to live in either apartments (shown below) or cottages. An important aspect of the facility is security, which Morefield was able to supply and install. Access control has secured buildings creating a protected environment for employees and residents.

Morefield also helped ALSM build out their local area network (LAN) which included upgrading and reinstalling existing telephones and converting from analog to digital circuitry. Referred to as a PRI (primary rate interface) Conversion, this technology provides substantial savings to organizations with phone systems of at least 20 lines. It does this by replacing the existing CO lines with a T-1 trunk capable of carrying 24 channels (or lines).

Finding Value in Features

The expense of moving to digital circuitry was quickly recouped in cost savings on phone bills. However, ALSM’s Chief Financial Officer, Chris Reighard said it was the benefits that really impressed him. “The freedom and flexibility in the system gave us features like direct internal dialing. It also means that conference calls don’t tie up all the available lines and other calls can get through”.

The three campus phone system upgrade has created a more effective, integrated operation according to Pat Savage, president of ALSM. She was enthusiastic about ALSM’s relationship with Morefield, “If there ever is a problem, Morefield provides prompt and efficient service. They also bring us cutting edge technologies which we can benefit from”.

Today ALSM provides community support, adult day care, counseling and children’s services, as well as retirement living. Morefield Communications is proud to be associated with an organization that support the needs of our community, and is always looking for new ways to help them do more.

________________________

To learn more about a PRI Conversion or other solutions which could help your organization do more with less, contact (800) 382-1266, or contact us for more information.

IN THE FIELD: Making Health Care Wireless Secure

By Jonathan Mifflin

Ten years ago workforce mobility was a paper chart carried by the physician or nurse to the examination room and back again to medical records for filing. With the maturation of efficient electronic records, mobility is now defined by a secure wireless network allowing anytime-anywhere access to resources such as electronic records. The appeal of ‘wherever-whenever’ information is strong. However, this should be balanced with the need for security. Perhaps no where is security more critical than in health care, with its need for patient privacy and accurate real-time information.

Medical services rely on a highly mobile workforce. Productivity improves when physicians, nurses, or staff members can access and update medical records in transit. So, prepared to enhance the network towards an advanced wireless infrastructure, we stumble into the void of wireless security. An area filled with confusing acronyms and stories of failed security.

The horror stories are well traveled. From the tales about hackers that crack into wireless point of sale systems while sitting in a store’s parking lot, to the stories of “war drivers” that travel the streets looking for open wireless networks to hijack.

Wireless networks should be deployed with the strongest security solution available. WPA (WiFi Protected Access), developed by the WiFi Alliance, is an example of a standards-based, strong security solution. WPA has three main components; encryption, data integrity, and authorization. This layered mechanism ensures that only authorized individuals are permitted on the network, that the data exchanged on the network is ciphered and that the data has not been augmented in transit.

Finding the Solution

A security risk assessment is performed prior to deciding on a wireless network. An assessment studies proposed devices, applications, and types of data to be accessed over the wireless network. The study should also consider the area of coverage and the number of users supported by the network. This information will aid in applying a cost to the security solution that will directly influence the final design. There are two predominant solutions:

• Standalone – a solution where each access point is independently configured as a single silo. Coverage is usually limited to several hundred square feet and the number of users is around 20 to 30. The applications accessed over the network are classified more as convenience applications, then mission critical. WPA is deployed using a pre-shared key. The client must prove to the access point that it has the correct cipher key before it is permitted on the network. Each access point contains the entire database of all the wireless users allowed on the network. Any changes to the client base must be statically administered to each access point.
• Enterprise – this solution will look very similar to the standalone solution. However, it is deployed on a much larger scale potentially covering thousands of square feet over multiple floors or buildings. The enterprise wireless network supports an extensive user community with business critical applications. These solutions rely on servers to dynamically manage the access points. Thus the intelligence of the wireless network is shifted centrally into the network core. WPA is deployed through a central server. Each access point is directed to check with the server before a client is permitted on the network. This way, changes to the client base or access points can be easily administered from a central repository.

Wireless solutions enhance the productivity of a mobile workforce and can be deployed on any existing network. However, careful consideration of security is needed. Organizations that utilize up-to-date security solutions ensure that their networks remain secure.

________________________

Morefield Communications offers network assessments and wireless solutions to industry, including Health Care. To find out more, call (800) 382-1266.