Dive Brief:
- Asbury University in Kentucky simplified its network for students and employees who wanted to use the campus internet from personal devices while heightening security control and cutting costs by switching to an all-in-one solution.
- According to eCampus News, the small, faith-based university expanded use of the Dell SonicWALL E6500 series firewall, incorporating its web-content filtering function as well as network access control rather than having separate appliances do that work.
- The integrated solution makes it easier for users — removing the need to set up proxy controls before first accessing the internet and cutting down on calls to IT for support in doing so — and it also beefs up security by eliminating any gaps between not-quite-compatible systems and gives the IT staff more control over network traffic.
Dive Insight:
Often, using different tools to accomplish different tasks is a preferred method, as each vendor can specialize in an area and create the best product for it. But when various products cannot be fitted directly into each other, cracks in the overall system appear. As in Asbury’s case, an all-in-one solution can be the better method.
As internet traffic increases on colleges and universities across the country, many institutions are rethinking their strategies. Students are showing up with more devices, expecting to connect, and faculty are incorporating internet and video use in classes more than ever, relying on a fully functional network.