It is hard to believe, but my son graduated from high school, with college just around the corner. Where did the time go? As I contemplate his future, I think about things like "Will he know how to balance his time? Will he self-regulate fun and academic study? What will he do without nurturing adult oversight? Will his phone be a distractor or shift to an important tool on his learning journey?" OK, so I am a worrier! I also worry about the campus environment and the foundational resources that should help him be successful. One of those key foundational resources is the network infrastructure that should enable a mobile-first experience. Good or bad, his phone is his #1 tool – I rarely see it out of his hand.
ArubaOS 8 on the University Campus
Universities have many challenges, including student recruitment, student retention, student safety, budget, and staffing. Supporting an ever-changing mobile society, especially smartphone-dependent students, is also a big challenge. It is hard to keep up with all the Wi-Fi enabled devices in the market today, and students like my son who use them on campus.
That brings me to ArubaOS 8, which delivers a new architectural shift and flexibility of deployment (virtual or hardware appliance) that provides significant features that empower IT to deliver mobile first connectivity. Some of the best features of ArubaOS 8 include:
- Seamless failover: When a controller fails, the user session is picked up by another controller in the cluster.
- Real-time upgrade of the network: Upgrading the network with no downtime.
- Automated RF optimization: The next generation RF optimization (AirMatch) is tuned for the many high-density environments on the campus.
- Optimized Wi-Fi: Dynamically optimize Wi-Fi client performance (ClientMatch).
- Multi-tenancy: Ability to create multiple separate secure networks from a single AP (MultiZone).
Why does this matter? Students roam across campus and expect to stay connected. But it isn't connectivity just for connectivity's sake. AOS 8 features deliver the following:
- Uninterrupted Wi-Fi means continued teaching or learning without impact
- Improved and enhanced user experience with fewer complaints
- Less IT burdens with simple and/or automated optimization of the network
- Network configuration setup and deployment is easier and more efficient
- Time lost on poor connectivity or fixing connectivity means more time spent on important things
The bottom line is ArubaOS 8 is pushing the boundaries for always-on reliability and experiences! And it isn't just about granting the wishes of our young people it makes a difference. In fact, according to an ECAR study, 78% of students indicate that technology helps contribute to the completion of classes. Now if only Aruba engineers could develop always-on attention spans and learning for 18-year-olds!
Learn More
Check out these links to learn more:
- Successful deployment at James Cook University
- Recently released videos on ArubaOS 8 (Why ArubaOS 8?, What is MultiZone?, Reliability at all levels, and Mobility Conductor and AirMatch)
Please register to view "Does your network make the grade?" webinar on-demand.
