The new Wi-Fi 6 solution has delivered:
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Tenfold increase in Wi-Fi speed, making it possible for educators to stream resources in classrooms and employ EdTech
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Reliable connectivity for the school’s new Immersive Learning Classroom and coverage to outdoor learning spaces
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Total network visibility, with single click troubleshooting, and issue resolution prior to end user impact
Our Meraki solution has opened up a world of opportunities for us in learning styles, and enabled our pupils to work, learn, and collaborate on campus. The pupil experience has improved as Meraki has made everything more reliable and enabled us to expand our classroom ICT provision.
Matt Clackett, IT & Digital Services Manager, Manor Lodge School
The Challenge
The school’s 10-year-old network infrastructure was a mix of end-of-life Cisco and Netgear which was overdue for a transformation. The WiFi 4/5 had performance limitations and could not support the connectivity and bandwidth required by the school. The network management overhead limited the ability to scale, so Manor Lodge needed a new scalable network that would future-proof the school.
Find out how Manor Lodge School transitioned to a Wi-Fi 6, cloud-managed network solution in our full case study.
The new Wi-Fi 6 solution has delivered:
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Supporting lean IT that can deliver high-performance connectivity to 6,700+ students across 8 schools
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Cloud-based management has improved efficiency of the IT function, sharpened and widened network visibility, and reduced costs
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Improved data quality and security using a unified platform that enables total-network visibility and control
The static classroom has been replaced by more diverse learning styles and we’re providing better technology to support a curriculum with less time in the classroom so we
can point the resource where it’s needed.
Ross Weeks, Head of IT & Digital Strategy at Anthem Schools Trust
The Challenge
Anthem Schools Trust was facing the ongoing challenge of ensuring robust, connected experiences for its schools who all had a different legacy wireless network. Anthem’s key education specialists regularly taught at each school site and the slow WiFi was impacting lesson time. Its IT team was also having to manage several school networks with limited resources, whilst prioritising the student experience. A solution was needed to standardise and streamline network management across the Trust.
Find out how Anthem Schools Trust transitioned to a Wi-Fi 6, cloud-managed network solution in our full case study.
The new Wi-Fi 6 solution has delivered:
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Multi-gigabit classroom connectivity with a Wi-Fi 6 solution for richer learning experiences in high-capacity, high-density environments
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Cloud-based management has improved efficiency of the IT function, sharpened and widened network visibility, and reduced costs
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Reliable connectivity that gives educators confidence when using and experimenting with new EdTech and classroom technology
Our legacy network has been transformed from a collection of underperforming parts to one unified platform with scalable, high-density WiFi. We now have a robust, scalable network that can go up a level to support our future growth plans. And I know the process will be straightforward as we have Redway Networks to fall back on.
Rob Fuller, Head of IT Systems at Great Baddow High School
The Challenge
As with thousands of schools across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic forced an influx of new teaching and learning techniques, underpinned by education embracing all things digital. The school adopted more and more devices, at which point major cracks in the network’s infrastructure started to be seen, with performance declining, impacting teachers and students alike. The influx in devices also caused a huge increase in network management time, raising the overall cost of the network.
Find out how Great Baddow High School transitioned to a cloud-managed network solution in our full case study.
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Superior Wi-Fi and switching have enhanced classroom connectivity for richer learning experiences
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Cloud-based management has improved efficiency of the IT function and reduced costs
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Smart CCTV has secured the school’s site without requiring additional storage or bandwidth
From a staff point of view, Meraki has improved productivity and from a student point of view enabled us to really explore how we work with educational technology.
Tom Henesey, Headteacher at Drybrook Primary School
The Challenge
As with thousands of schools across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic forced an influx of new teaching and learning techniques, underpinned by education embracing all things digital. In the years since, the school has been seeking to embed these methods into its daily practices and deliverables, and although it had addressed some of the foundational issues, the solution to fully support and deliver this richer learning experience was not there.
Find out how Drybrook Primary School transitioned to a cloud-managed network solution in our full case study.
The new CCTV solution has delivered:
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Complete site visibility, bolstering physical safety, even at night-time and in poor visibility
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Cloud-based management has improved staff use of the platform, allowing remote access from anywhere, any time
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On-camera storage has saved data storage costs and minimised physical infrastructure
“Meraki MV has really bolstered us in the physical security game. Our staff love the fact that Meraki provides a watchful eye over our school site 24-7 . We have perimeter fencing but video security keeps everything safe. We have a large forest by our school area and having the CCTV means we can use it at the weekends which has given staff flexibility on how they work
Tom Henesey, Headteacher at Drybrook Primary School
The Challenge
The schools already had CCTV surveillance but it was outdated and the Trust were concerned that this lack of visibility would take a toll on school safety. The campuses had experienced a couple of incidents out of hours which the existing CCTV had not aided with, and so evidently, with student safety being a primary concern, finding a solution that both did the required job and made school security easier to manage was a priority for the Trust.
Find out how Dene Magna Secondary School and Drybrook Primary School transitioned to a cloud-based CCTV solution in our full case study.
Reedbut Group Improves Efficiency Across Nationwide Warehouses with Next-Gen Wi-Fi from Redway Networks
As one of the leading sheet plant manufacturers of eco-friendly packaging, Reedbut Group must respond to tight delivery demands across the UK, Europe and the wider world. This relies on seamless warehouse operations with increasing amounts of tech hardware and software, from devices to automation. The warehouse was experiencing dropouts and slow speeds due to an outdated Netgear wireless solution, impacting efficiency and restricting ROI, especially in regards to newer systems such as AI.
The new Wi-Fi solution has delivered:
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Complete network visibility and streamlined network management thanks to a single pane of glass dashboard in Cambium cnMaestro
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Improvement in warehouse productivity and efficiency by supporting successful automation, enhancing both distribution and customer service
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Seamless migration to cloud-managed WiFi-6, with no impact to business thanks to a fully pre-staged and tested solution
Our new Cambium wireless solution is delivering fast, reliable coverage which has streamlined operations and enabled us to support successful automated warehousing.
Trevor Green, Group Managing Director at Reedbut Group
The Challenge
Reedbut’s existing Netgear wireless solution was outdated and could no longer support the coverage and connectivity demands of Reedbut’s warehouses, including increasing amounts of automation and AI. Reedbut holds stock for several large retailers in their warehouses in Milton Keynes, Andover and Rochester, and products need to be shipped quickly to meet timescales, so warehouse productivity plays an important role in business operations.
Trevor Green, Group Managing Director for Reedbut Group knew that the wireless network was holding the company back, with warehouse dropouts occurring, harming efficiency and customer satisfaction. Find out how we future-proofed Reedbut’s warehouse productivity in the full case study.
The new security solution has delivered:
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Network administration and management time has been reduced by 50% thanks to automated optimisation, problem solving and machine learning
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A 100% reduction in reported network issues from users, including engineers – any problems are resolved before they’re even reported
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Over 150 cyber-threats were blocked by the Trust’s next-gen Meraki firewall within the first 2 weeks of the solution’s deployment
Since installing Meraki we’ve improved efficiency as we’ve reduced the amount of time previously spent on network troubleshooting and performing software updates which has enabled us to focus on creating safe, flexible spaces where learning, teaching and collaboration can take place. Meraki has given us complete visibility from the edge of the network through to the core.
Emily Stigant, IT Manager, The Forest of Dean Trust
The Challenge
The Trust has expanded hugely in recent years, growing to incorporate a sixth-form in 2019. This considerably raised the demands placed on their IT network, which needed to swell to accommodate a larger, busier campus. In addition to performance being negatively impacted by the growth, network management rose sharply, so the Trust needed a new solution which would simultaneously support the Trust’s growth and also make network management easier despite the rising numbers of students and staff.
The Trust’s journey to a next-gen, future-ready IT infrastructure started back in 2019 when they replaced their Ruckus WiFi with a WiFi-6 Meraki network. Read how and why they progressively transitioned to a full-stack solution capable of supporting tomorrow’s learning in our full case study.
The new security solution has delivered:
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Depth of defence has been significantly improved by a next-gen Meraki MX firewall, bringing intrusion prevention, content filtering, anti-malware, geo-based firewalling and remote access connectivity
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With its 5-year MX support licence, Meraki will save Horsham Council around £30,000 over the next five years in upgrade and support costs, standard with Meraki firewalls
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The shift to remote working has hugely increased the risk of cyberattacks due to a much higher number of connected, off-site devices, each a potential breach to security. The Council is now fully protected for today’s hybrid working
Our new Meraki firewall has not only improved our security infrastructure but will save the Council around £30,000 in upgrade and support costs over the next five years based on what we were spending in support costs with our previous security vendors.
Faz Sadough, Senior IT Engineer at Horsham District Council
The Challenge
The Council’s network security was inadequate protection against today’s threats, having reached the end of its life. Security was also difficult to manage, as they were running 2 firewalls from different vendors causing the network to be overly complicated and more time consuming to manage. With over 800 daily users, many connecting from remote locations, bulletproof security is essential to protect confidential and sensitive data.
Faz Sadough, Senior IT Engineer at Horsham District Council said, “with both [firewalls] coming to end of life we needed a new firewall that had the capabilities to improve our depth of defence and give us complete control over the network via the cloud. Find out how we secured their network in our full case study.
The new solution has delivered:
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The potential to support personalised, 1:1 learning to over 2,000 students across 3 schools
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Low TCO future-proofed solution with promotional licence: 10 years for the price of 5
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Improved security with WiFi-6 technology including higher levels on encryption and auto updates
We’ve seen lots of IT benefits as all our information is now in one centralised cloud managed dashboard with click and point granularity, so searching for top applications, users or devices is easy. We now have a future-proofed network that is very capable from a capacity point of view and won’t ever hit a limit as we add new devices.
Simon Cunningham, Infrastructure & Security Manager, Wakefield Grammar School Foundation
The Challenge
The Foundation’s main goal was to support the future of learning, including 1:1, personalised learning for each student, reliable access to the digital curriculum and greater network control and security. Realising these goals was not possible with Wakefield Grammar School Foundation’s existing network. The network was also cumbersome to manage, requiring data exports into Excel before crunching numbers to find and fix problems manually.
The large campus, including both modern buildings, listed old ones with thick walls, and a high-capacity theatre, makes high-performance networking a challenge, so the Foundation required an expert in these environments. Read how we helped move the schools to a future-ready WiFi-6 solution in our case study.
The new switching solution has delivered:
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500% improvement in bandwidth across the whole school site
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Speed improvement from 10GB 60GB to over 800 pupils and 100 staff
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Considerable time saved on network administration due to automated workflows
We’ve saved considerable administration time deploying Microsoft Windows operating systems and applications to new and existing devices. Before our new switching we had to perform software imaging during school holidays due to the lack of bandwidth but now we can update a whole suite of thirty PCs in around an hour.
Ian Brown, Leader of ICT Development, Jarrow School
The Challenge
Classrooms were seeing a poorer student and teacher experience due to poor connectivity, holding back learning, lesson planning and staff collaboration.
Ian Brown, Leader of ICT Development at the school said: “With no firmware updates available via Cisco, we couldn’t take advantage of new protocols, so we decided to upgrade our remaining network switches. We’d gone for Aruba’s 5400R core switch so we set out to find an expert network vendor who could work with us to design a future proofed solution for our whole network and switching configuration, successfully completing our Aruba deployment.” Read how we helped in our case study.