Dive Brief:
- Some higher ed IT departments are transitioning to a “bring-your-own-application” mindset, acknowledging that apps may be more important to the network than the device itself.
- Considerations include bandwidth measurements for the network’s use of devices and apps, security implications of the apps, and detection processes for monitoring use.
- A university app store can help feature applications that are approved by the institution and promised to function properly and quickly, as well as those the IT department has the power to protect.
Dive Insight:
Colleges and universities are universally responding to increased demands on campus bandwidth, especially from wireless devices. The use of a wide array of applications, however, comes with its own set of distinct problems, not least of which is security. IT departments don’t have control over the vulnerabilities individual users let into the network because of their app use. Staying ahead of the curve on what apps students and faculty are using is important. Keeping open channels of communication across all parts of the campus community is one way to facilitate that.