Dive Brief:
- Columbia University's Teachers College took down its entire wireless network, opting to rebuild its entire infrastructure instead of upgrading a system which operated on equipment more than 75% outdated or obsolete in 2014.
- A new administration overseeing campus information technology integrated new staff with completely new systems of network monitoring, firewall protection and data security.
- The school maintains an open-source system of WiFi access, which doesn't require single sign-on from users, and has quadrupled its speed performance.
Dive Insight:
While most campuses would not have the resources or time to totally dismantle an existing network infrastructure in favor of building a new one, this philosophy of IT management presents several benefits colleges and universities should consider. First, students, faculty and staff stand a better chance at learning and using a new online services when rolled out simultaneously, rather than staggered introductions with parts that may or may not fit well when introduced over time.
Additionally, a complete system rebuild allows IT officials to fully assess campus hardware needs, the latest software trends, and procurement advantages for pricing out vendors and systems. With a complete overhaul, administration can be confident that it will receive the latest and most high-performing systems for security and delivery, instead of limiting their campus infrastructure to outdated systems which may be more costly, and more time-cosuming to maintain in a campus upgrade of older equipment.