Steve Stafford, director of information technology, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, spoke at the August meeting on his company's strategies for integrating wireless networks into business operations. Chesapeake has drilling operations throughout the Southwestern U.S. and has implemented wireless networks to support surveillance monitoring, security and systems status reporting to higher headquarters. He said that while cost is an important decision factor, the speed and efficiency provided to support business decisions play a major role in the network implementation decision. Stafford compared implementation issues to those of gas well operating locations such as the Dallas/Fort-Worth Airport area, where extensive aircraft operations and frequency use impact wireless networks of remote well locations with limited support infrastructure. He then described cooperative efforts between oil and gas companies, including a committee established to address network, frequency and information security issues in the petroleum industry. The chapter also hosted a career fair that attracted more than 20 companies.

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