A competent partner with port experience
It goes without saying that reliable mobile connectivity is a must for port terminal operations. That is how AET came to Dalosy. At the time, Dalosy advised them on a network based on narrowband. This technology guaranteed very broad coverage and a robust connection with only a few antennas. The mobile communication was controlled via special middleware. This ensured that even with connection problems the sessions were never interrupted. After a proof of concept under the technical guidance of Dalosy, a successful installation of the solution followed. Subsequently, Dalosy also provided the right scanning equipment.
"At the time, we relied on our own Wi-Fi network. Of course, that was not yet as advanced and stable as today's standards. The persistent connection problems and the inconveniences that came with it made us look for a more stable alternative almost 15 years ago. We realised, of course, that a stable solution for an area of 300 football pitches was no easy matter."
Mark Engels, CTO at AET
For years, this narrowband solution worked flawlessly. When the technology became obsolete, the network was renewed a few years ago. The increasing demand for bandwidth at the terminal and the various third-party equipment prompted AET to invest heavily in a solid WiFi set-up.
A specific additional challenge in the business is that vehicle manufacturers regularly add an extra character to the barcode. Mark Engels: “If we read out such codes, they will not correspond to the data in the database. That is why we – together with Dalosy – have configured the devices in such a way that the data is still usable, independent of changes to the barcode by the various manufacturers. Dalosy’s technical support is also important for that kind of thing.”
"All these years, Dalosy continued to provide us with the best industrial scanners in the market. We can safely say that Dalosy has become a partner in that field. A big advantage is that the reseller has a lot of experience in the Antwerp port area. This means that we always get scanners specialized for our environment. Dalosy also has well knowledge of the software on the devices. Furthermore, we can always call on the after-sales service for trouble shooting in the event of any malfunctions or for additional advice. The technical team continues to help us.”
Mark Engels, CTO at AET