Why invest in next-gen, cloud-based campus networking?

• Improve student satisfaction scores through superior connectivity which does not limit digital studying, socialising, streaming or accessing support services, consequently raising ranking position and increasing admissions
• Save IT resources by streamlining network management with automated tasks, zero touch provisioning and always-on security, and pre-emptively and automatedly resolve network issues before they impact performance
• Provide a technology rich environment, preparing students for working life where machine learning, AI, IoT and emerging tech play an increasing role
• Leverage IoT and AI for campus management and security, including smart CCTV cameras and sensors for building maintenance/management
• Cloud-based networking provides total campus network visibility and control in a single pane of glass, making network management agile, easier and less time consuming (by up to 95% faster)
• Keep student and staff data safe whether they’re learning, socialising, or roaming through zero-trust policies and total device visibility, avoiding the costs of cyber-security attacks

The complexity of keeping campus networks always-on, always alert

College and university campuses need to be more connected than ever before, but they also need higher security, scalability, and a route to simplifying management of an increasingly complex network. As wireless devices increase, from laptops, tablets and wearables to IoT such as CCTV, sensors and digital whiteboards, demands for bandwidth rise which must be met with highly scalable networks. The rise in these devices also significantly increases the risk of security breaches from the edge, requiring network security that is always-on, and automatically detects, blocks, and analyses attacks.

The size, scope, and security risks posed to networks are all on the rise, so IT departments must streamline management or be faced with a mounting workload that requires increasing resources. This is where cloud-based and cloud-managed networks excel. Unifying wireless and wired networks, control your entire campus in one agile, always-on location.

• Cloud networks have the potential to cut the time it takes IT departments to roll out manual network changes by 95% through auto-updates and patches, machine learning and automated network optimisation based on user density, usage and trends.
• They offer ease of management that’s agile and untethered; intuitive dashboards accessed via web browsers – and many via an app – give network managers campus-wide total network visibility from a cloud-based, centralised single pane of glass.
• Leveraging insights from automated data analysis mean network issues can be prevented before impacting users, eliminating the loss of time resolving problems, responding to helpdesk tickets and also keeping student/staff satisfaction metrics high with regards to the digital experience.
• Next-gen networks offer capacity for the future of smart campuses where existing networks cannot. Today’s further education relies on an IT foundation built for tomorrow and all its devices, from smart CCTV to keep students safe and sensors to automate cost-savings on heating/cooling, to eSports and students booking washing machines via apps.
• WiFi 6 offers the most reliable, fastest connectivity even in high density environments like lecture halls, breakout areas, halls of residence – even for scaling numbers of devices from laptops, tablets and wearables to digital whiteboards, IoT and more.