Midwestern State U Outsources Campus ResNet To Support Proliferation of Wireless Devices
Midwestern State University (MWSU), a public liberal arts college located in Wichita Falls, TX, has outsourced its campus residence network (ResNet) to support the rapid increase in wireless devices students are bringing on campus.
According to a 2013 survey conducted by CourseSmart, 68 percent of college students use three or more digital devices each day, and 47 percent of students check those devices every 10 minutes. Laptops are still the most common digital devices used on campus, but many students now also use smartphones and tablets. Students in residence halls may also have devices such as desktop computers, wireless printers, iPods, gaming systems, e-readers, and smart TVs connected to the network.
"Across the country, universities are grappling with rising student expectations for fast, wireless, and unlimited internet connectivity while juggling limited IT budgets," said Michael Mills, director of housing and dining services for MWSU, in a prepared statement.
To cope with the proliferation of devices, MWSU partnered with Apogee, a provider of managed ResNet services for higher education, to provide the MWSU ResNet with both wireless and wired Internet services and 24/7 technical support. According to Apogee, managed ResNet services enable colleges and universities "to enhance their network infrastructure while offloading the growing volume of administrative responsibilities associated with managing a student network.
MWSU and Apogee set up the wireless network in the university's three residence halls within three months. According to Mills, the new network meets current student demands and MWSU is now "fully set up to smoothly scale our network as our students' needs evolve."
Several other universities have also outsourced their ResNet services to Apogee. Huntington University in Indiana now provides students in its five residence halls with wireless and wired Internet services, in-room voice over IP (VoIP) services, and 24/7 technical support, as does Navarro College in Texas. Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania provides its suite-style residence halls with wireless and wired Internet services, in-room VoIP services, cable television, and 24/7 technical support. And the University of Nebraska provides all 17 of its residence halls and two apartment-style housing facilities with both wireless and wired Internet services and 24/7 technical support.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].