A good cell phone signal booster solution is like a good umpire. It’s doing a great job if you don’t notice it. That’s why integrators that provide their customers with cell phone signal booster solutions will be particularly interested in the new SureCall Cloud and SureCall Cellular Modem, both announced at InfoComm 2019 and both designed to make customers not have to think about their signal boosters.
In essence, SureCall Cloud improves an integrator’s ability to remotely manage a SureCall cell phone signal booster solution, addressing issues before they come to a customer’s attention. SureCall Cellular Modem eliminates the customer’s network security concerns by allowing connection of the signal booster system to the SureCall Cloud server over a cellular network which completely bypasses the user’s local network.
SureCall Cloud
It’s not just that the SureCall Cloud makes remote management of signal boosters easier, says Eric Mercil, director of sales. It makes both the setup and management of the solution simpler, he says. The setup aspect is vital he adds, pointing out that not all integrators are accustomed to setting up robust signal booster solutions and that some just do a deployment here and there. “The SureCall Cloud allows them to ensure they’ll have the best performance.”
SureCall Cloud is “a great tool to have when you’re optimizing on site and also when you want to remotely manage offsite,” says Frankie Smith.
That performance assurance goes beyond setup with the remote management capabilities. According to the company, SureCall Cloud offers effortless 24/7 remote management capabilities. Installers and IT managers can take advantage of monitoring and troubleshooting at any time from any location, resulting in better performance at lower cost.
“It really helps with optimization because it’s going to give you real-time feedback on the performance of the booster,” said SureCall VP of sales Frankie Smith during InfoComm 2019. “You can manage incoming signal strength. You can attenuate each individual band and even turn off each band if the application so calls for it. [It’s] a great tool to have when you’re optimizing on site and also when you want to remotely manage offsite.”
SureCall Cloud is embedded in SureCall solutions, including the Force5, Smith added. It’s powered by Sentry hardware, which comes built into every SureCall Force5 2.0, Guardian4, and Force8, and is available as an add-on to Fusion5X 2.0 and Fusion5s signal boosters.
SureCall Cloud is embedded in SureCall solutions, including the Force8.
More SureCall Cloud Features (via press release):
- More Power to the User: Organize signal boosters by location via dashboard
- Management Made Easy: View and adjust output power as well as incoming signal strength to ensure optimal performance of boosters for each location
- Automated Alerts: Create customized email notifications to alert performance of boosters
- Offsite Troubleshooting: Access booster’s historical performance and adjust attenuation
- Carrier Friendly: Enable or disable specific frequency bands
- Performance Tracking: Establish a performance baseline with periodic snapshots
- Endless Customization: Adjust uplink and downlink paths individually
Access to the SureCall Cloud application is free. Integrators can register and log into the SureCall Cloud portal to learn more.
SureCall Cellular Modem with Embedded Router
The big talking point with the SureCall Cellular Modem is the network security aspect (in that it doesn’t need to touch the customer’s network) but it also offers valuable flexibility.
It comes with a built-in router and enables the Sentry remote management hardware to connect the signal booster system to the SureCall Cloud server over a cellular network which completely bypasses the user’s local network.
“A lot of our dealers don’t want to just sell a product and move on to the next customer,” he says. “They want to build that relationship,” says SureCall’s Eric Mercil.
SureCall cites a recent Trustwave report stating that 61% of organizations have experienced an IoT security incident. While there is a SIM card with activation instructions ($5 per month) included with the SureCall Cellular Modem, users have the option to utilize their own SIM card from any carrier.
The security aspect is huge, Mercil says. He points out that SureCall solutions are provided to a lot of health care providers and other clients where security is so important. “No. 1, the modem now gives flexibility to the customer to be able to use whatever carrier they want to utilize. No. 2., it takes it off their network.”
SureCall’s Cellular Modem retails for $399.99 and is a modular add-on to any signal booster using the SureCall Sentry hardware.
The other benefit of the network security and remote management capabilities that SureCall Cellular Modem and SureCall Cloud offer integrators is the service opportunity. Integrators can leverage the solutions to build managed services or service contracts post installation which, as Mercil points out, creates a more valuable and sticky relationship with customers.
“A lot of our dealers don’t want to just sell a product and move on to the next customer,” he says. “They want to build that relationship and these are tools they can put in their tool belt to help with that.”
