The Knowledge Hub Universities has deployed state of the art wired and wireless networking technology from Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. The solution enables the utilization of the latest digital learning tools and connected campus security systems. It offers a convenient ‘Guest Portal’ for rapid, secure and controlled internet access and delights users with seamless roaming across the campus. Network performance issues or negative feedback from staff and students have been eliminated and the system enables seamless centralized management of networks across the entire campus.
“Our flagship initiative has been setting up a multidisciplinary educational hub that host branches of leading international universities, delivering the same academic programs offered at their mother campus and thus leading to the same, exact qualification and degrees. Providing students with the same quality of experience is pivotal to this, and technology is a fundamental enabler of these world-class experiences,” explained Hossam Ismail, IT Network Lead.
Recognizing that mobility and pervasive connectivity would be essential to implementing the innovations they intended to roll out at the University, TKH’s IT team selected Aruba as their networking technology partner.
Starting with the first phase of TKH, consisting of different buildings with more than 60 classrooms, 20 lecture halls & workshops and 250 staff offices as well as recreational facilities and common areas, TKH’s IT team worked closely with Aruba to implement Layer 3 switching and wireless Access Points (APs).
To deliver secure access for professors and admin staff while providing convenient wireless connectivity for visitors and guests, and to facilitate bring your own device (BYOD) for students in a controlled and uncompromisingly secure manner, the University implemented Aruba ClearPass. TKH’s IT team also decided to leverage Airwave Network Management to centrally monitor and manage the entire network so that the quality and integrity of services could be maintained at consistently high levels.
The decision to partner with Aruba has enabled TKH with world-class solution design and logistics support, the flexibility to repurpose investments, and a rapid realization of ROI on the first phase.
Despite the impact of COVID-19 and logistical challenges, the implementation was completed within just 8-10 weeks.
To deliver its digitally oriented curriculum, TKH makes use of several digital tools including a Learning Management System (LMS). Using ClearPass, the IT team has set up a ‘Guest Portal’ that conveniently authenticates staff and students based on the same credentials registered in the University’s Active Directory. Moreover, Aruba’s solution ensures compliance by automatically conducting a health check on all devices trying to connect to the network.
Based on the ‘exceptional’ experience that the University has had with Aruba, TKH’s IT team is already in discussion with Aruba to extend the network for the upcoming phase of the project which will involve expansion into a further five buildings.
