Educational Networks need to be Simple and Future Proofed for Today’s Virtual Learning Environments

Originally Published on The Modern Network

Today’s education networks, from K-12 to higher education, have a need for higher bandwidth and always-on connectivity due to the proliferation of different devices connecting to them. The evolution from a “real” blackboard to a digital blackboard – and now a tablet or smartphone for interactive learning – has added to these bandwidth demands. In addition, Common Core testing, personalized learning, digital textbooks and online classes are only a few of the many other education trends that are further exasperating networks.

The demand for bandwidth in schools has grown, but the staffs that have to keep up with the demand haven’t grown at the same pace.

In addition, the IT best practices of the past are too complex for today’s rapidly changing environment. Students today require 24/7 access to new applications and device configurations to ensure a positive network experience. After all, many students will choose a school based on its network, not just for Netflix, but for rich educational content.

Creating an automated workflow environment, in which an IT staff can easily deploy a zero-touch provisioning network that is scalable, agile and secure is one way to help operationally-constrained institutions deploy and maintain new networks or expand coverage with less effort.

Today’s educational IT staff must be able to simplify networks, future proof them, and create solutions that are supportable by the manpower that is already in place.  They also must be cost effective, as budgets at most educational institutions aren’t growing rapidly.

To create an automated workflow effectively, IT staffs must first assess their current wired and wireless networks, assess where they are, and plan where they want to be in terms of those networks. It may seem daunting to plan for a future that holds the reality of new technologies and applications being introduced on a daily basis. We don’t know what the future brings, but we do know it will require more bandwidth.

Using a simplified, automated network, you build intelligence into the core of the network that will allow you to prepare a road map for the long term.  This “plug and play” scenario will support growth and make change easy and effective.

Think of it as a “popup campus” network. Learn more about what is involved here.