According to Statista, there will be more than 75 billion connected devices by 2025. This boom of Internet-enabled gadgets is just one chapter in the story of the new era of connectivity. Today’s tech-savvy consumers are also becoming accustomed to anywhere, anytime connectivity, unparalleled speeds and an app for everything – whether at home or at work. As a result, no sector will escape the digital transformation sweeping the nation, with higher education institutions such as universities being no exception.
Due the nature of their target audience – generally younger people who have grown up with the Internet as the fourth utility – universities are under rising pressure. In addition to accommodating the multiple devices each of the thousands of students bring to campus with them, they also need to provide enhanced learning experiences if they are to stand out from competitors. Today’s students want instant access to resources, for a deeper and more flexible learning experience, anywhere and anytime.
The key to fulfilling these requirements – and improving other aspects of the student experience such as safety and wellbeing through innovative services – is a robust, highly available and reliable network and communications infrastructure.
Embarking on the Digital Transformation journey
One of the country’s leading universities and a member of the prestigious Russell Group, is carving a pioneering role in the area of digital transformation. It currently plays host to more than 23,000 students and 5,000 staff across its campuses, with this number of students expected to grow by 21% in the next five years. This led the university to embark on a journey to transform its IT provision and move to Digital Services.
To help it along the way, it needed a trusted partner with a wealth of experience in network design and the expertise that could engineer a best-in-class and cost-effective solution. Following a tender process, the university selected Telent, a leading UK technology and network services company.
Telent was chosen for the project due to its longstanding experience of designing, building, managing and maintaining mission critical networks in a number of sectors, including Transport, Service Provider, Emergency Services, Defence, Government and Public Services. Its other customers include Highways England, nuclear power plant Hinckley Point C and the NHS.
Strategic collaboration
In the £11 million project, Telent will be responsible for designing and building the university’s IT and telecommunications infrastructure.
This will include the integration and management of equipment from five different technology partners, while adhering to the university’s strict budgetary requirements.
During the five year project – which will see installation start in early 2020 – Telent will reduce the operating costs of running the university’s networks, replace network equipment which is at the end of its life, and provide users with fast, secure and reliable delivery of applications and services, strengthening the student experience and supporting the university’s strategy for wireless first connectivity.
Telent is the single provider of all in-scope services and will be responsible for aspects such as Local Area Networks (LANs) and Wide Area Networks (WANs) that link its campuses together, wireless access, unified communications, IT security, cabling and fibre support and user access management. It will also provide fourth line support once the network is handed over to the university and the project is completed in December 2020.
The network core and data centre infrastructure will be built on Juniper Networks’ technology and an EVPN/VXLAN architecture. Aruba will deliver an intelligent access layer for seamless secure access to services from any device anywhere – albeit wired, wireless or remote, Fortinet will supply next-generation layer 2 – 7 data centre and perimeter security, Infoblox will provide IP access management and Microsoft will deliver voice and unified communications services.
Telent will also implement a live lab environment at the university to simulate the project to allow for the testing and development of new features and functionality.
With significant experience of delivering large, complex, mission critical networks in a variety of sectors, Telent is ideally placed to support universities with their IT transformation projects. By completing this project,online learning programmes will enhance student participation not only in the classroom, but anywhere on campus. A robust, secure and available network can also play an important role in safeguarding students by flagging a period of inactivity and recommending appropriate follow up.
Ultimately, we look forward to building a strategic and trusted partnership with the university, delivering a world class service to
their students and staff. Our solution will prepare the university for next generation IT and digital opportunities in a secure, scalable and highly available environment. Telent’s leading expertise in mission critical networks and complex environments helped us secure this landmark IT transformation contract. We look forward to sharing our experiences with other universities who may also benefit from similar design principles.
Above and beyond
The digital transformation is set to support the university’s ambition to retain its position as one of the best in the country, while bolstering new revenue streams, cutting operational costs and preserving highly valued university brands and reputations.
Additionally, technology-enabled interactivity, effective delivery and interdisciplinary learning will play a key role in supporting staff, ultimately boosting teaching excellence. This will also be achieved through the network opening up new possibilities for innovative applications which can not only enhance classroom learning but also help ensure students’ well-being, safety and overall university experience.
Telent’s unique approach to the project will not only see network equipment at the end of its life replaced with innovative new technology, but it will also reuse existing parts of the network, ensuring the most cost-effective upgrade is achieved.