David DeLong D.D.S. Cosmetic & Family Dentistry in Silicon Valley has been in business for over 25 years. Originally from sunny San Diego, California, Dr. DeLong graduated from the University of Southern California School of Dentistry in 1987 and then moved up the West Coast to Santa Clara. He specializes in cosmetic surgery and provides a wide range of services, including family and cosmetic dentistry, Invisalign, endodontics, and more. Customers describe Dr. DeLong and his staff as being “friendly, genuine, and caring” and providers of “top-notch professional services.” Dr. DeLong and his team take great pride in the health and happiness of every patient who steps into their office.
The challenge
Over the years, with the rise of the tech industry, Dr. DeLong knew his existing WiFi wasn’t cutting it for his business. The biggest problem was that his customers and staff shared the same network. He needed to keep his Silicon Valley clientele engaged and entertained while they waited for their appointment. However, their use of the WiFi dramatically slowed productivity down for the office. Submitting insurance billing and claims were frequently delayed because patients were consuming bandwidth to catch up on work or watch videos while relaxing in the lobby.
Dr. DeLong wanted to explore a new solution to put an end to the slow speeds and inefficiency that everyone in the office was experiencing.
The solution
After discovering Meraki Go online and reading reviews describing it as an easy wireless solution for small businesses, Dr. DeLong purchased and installed a Meraki Go indoor access point.
The entire dental practice – from employees to patients – has been extremely impressed by the upgrade. In addition to secure and reliable WiFi, Dr. DeLong used Meraki Go to create a separate network for the business and another network for customers. The newly added guest WiFi has enabled busy patients to stay connected and productive while waiting in the lobby. That said, Meraki Go also empowered Dr. DeLong to set limits on bandwidth usage. This ensures that those visiting certain sites (like YouTube or Netflix) don’t slow the network down for everyone else.
“Using Meraki Go,” says Dr. DeLong, “I’m able to separate guest WiFi from the business WiFi, and keep my business and patients safe through built-in security.” Since staff no longer competes with customers for bandwidth, the office has been able to process payments and submit insurance claims without any frustration from being slowed down. There is now even extra time to send text reminders to patients about upcoming appointments.
“Before Meraki Go, the WiFi was super slow. But with Meraki Go, it’s now so simple.”
Arlene Owen
Office Manager
Implementing Meraki Go has been a major upgrade. Dr. DeLong and his staff can now also gain interesting insights into their clientele that they never had before. This includes how many guests are accessing the network, the devices they’re using, and the top applications they tap into. The Meraki Go app also offers location analytics, which lets the dentistry look at popular times their patients visit and know how long they stay. This has opened new opportunities for the team to plan ahead for busy times of the week.
There have been additional benefits from Meraki Go as well. Throughout 2020, the indoor access point has powered new ways to meet the dentistry’s evolving needs. Physical safety has become top-of-mind for staff and patients, so Dr. DeLong deployed WiFi-powered air purifiers and seamlessly connected them to the business’ network. These new cleaning technologies have enhanced safety protocols for everyone.
