IT specialist completes project to help National Justice Museum get ready to reopen

A Derbyshire IT firm has completed a major project with the National Justice Museum in Nottingham to help it get ready for reopening to the public in May.

IDT, which is based on Mercian Park in Ilkeston, has designed, built and installed a completely new wifi solution that will speed up corporate and guest connections across not only the Museum – but also at its City of Caves attraction.

IDT’s engineers spent several days on-site scoping the project and site, doing heat map surveys to ensure they would be able to provide connectivity in each space of the Museum and Caves. This was even before any cable was laid, or access points mounted.

Luke Draper, managing director of IDT, said: “Designing and implementing the Wi-Fi for the museum posed unique wireless engineering challenges. Physically getting cables down into the Caves and cells deep in the depths of the Museum was honestly one of the most complex wifi deployments we have carried out.”

The National Justice Museum and City of Caves are increasingly seeking personalised and shareable experiences to fully engage with their visitors and enhance their visitor experience.

Draper added: “The Wi-Fi network in today’s world is the foundation of any interactive user experience in any museum. The work we have carried out will enable the Museum’s visitors to interact with the tours and the attractions through their own devices safely and COVID securely across the two sites.”

Victoria Reeves, chief executive of the National Justice Museum, said: “We have known for a while what the benefits of a complete site-wide, wifi solution would give us but our building architecture has always been too restrictive to even consider it.

“Once we commissioned IDT, they just took control and handled everything. They didn’t just look at a simple solution, they wanted to ensure we got the best solution.

“Being forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic gave us the opportunity to invest in getting the Museum ready for reopening in May this year. We have been very fortunate to have been supported with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Art Fund to complete this project. Many of us take wifi for granted wherever we go, having seen the hard work that goes on in the background to present this to our visitors, I have even further respect for IDT and the work they have carried out.”

IDT will continue to be the Museum’s main IT partner. Draper said: “We cannot wait for them to have their doors back open in May.”

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