Star Wars lasers link school campuses (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Star Wars lasers link school campuses

THEY may not be visible to the naked eye but lasers are criss-crossing the heart of historic Cirencester this very minute.

It sounds like a scene from sci-fi film Star Wars but health and safety experts have nothing to fear as the beams in question are harmless.

Cirencester College called in local IT firm 3Circle to help it improve links between its Fosse Way campus and its new adult learning centre at The Castle in Cecily Hill.

Under normal circumstances, the scheme would involve digging up roads and inserting a cable to provide a suitable link.

But 3Circle came up with an alternative solution involving the transfer of data through laser beams.

Technicians set up devices at both college sites and on the tower of Cirencester Parish Church to enable high-speed communication.

The system became operational two weeks ago.

College vice principal Desna McAll said: "Staff have been looking forward to it enormously. It's tremendous news.

"I think it's an environmentally friendly solution in that it doesn't involve digging up trenches etc.

"It's also going to give us a much faster connection than other methods."

The system works through infrared and the laser transmitters are the size of a shoe box.

3Circle needed to assure church authorities and planners that the device on the church tower wouldn't create an eyesore and it is positioned between two turrets, so that it isn't visible from the street.

The firm says because the laser beam is infrared and concentrated, it is extremely hard to tap into and isn't harmful in any way.

Hugh Parry, 3Circle's sales director, said: "This solution yet again demonstrates the high levels of innovation we are able to bring to the table when confronted with different problems.

"Our engineers and relationship with key technology partners are of the highest possible calibre and this enables us to go that extra mile for our clients and exceed their expectations."

* 3 Circle is in the process of setting up a Wide Area Network (WAN) for expanding Cirencester estate agent Cain and Fuller.

The property firm wants to link its head office, its new Tetbury office and a soon-to-open Cricklade office to a central database and 3Circle has come up with the solution.