Aruba Networks Offers Mobility Training for Higher Ed
Aruba Networks has introduced Aruba Mobility Academy, a mobility-specific higher education program designed to provide IT students with the fundamentals required to build, maintain and advance wireless LAN networks. The first schools to participate in the global program include Texas A&M University, TAFE South Australia and Princess Sumaya University for Technology in Jordan.
The Aruba Mobility Academy foundation-level course is a combination of lectures and labs that covers the basics of wireless LAN solutions, including 802.11 WiFi standards, network mobility architecture and wireless LAN configuration. Labs provide students with the skills and practical experience necessary to setup and configure a wireless LAN, as well as fine-tune the wireless infrastructure for mobile devices. Additionally, courses cover common bring-your-own-device (BYOD) networking challenges, with a focus on WiFi fundamentals; spectrum analysis; wireless LAN design; Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) configuration for 802.1X and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) authentication; and mobile device provisioning for employees and guests.
In a press release, Greg Lynch, networking lecturer for TAFE SA (Technical and Further Education South Australia), pointed to the importance of wireless training for today's IT students: "Since wireless is one of the fastest growing technologies in networking, adding a course specific to WiFi implementation was imperative to prepare our students for real-world networking careers. The Aruba Mobility Academy provides our students with a strong foundation in WLAN technologies and, due to its lab-intensive approach, gives our students the practical experience required for understanding wireless networking and the challenges associated with mobile devices."
Ana Goulart, associate professor of electronic systems engineering technology at Texas A&M, has integrated segments of the Aruba Mobility Academy into three of her networking courses with plans to expand to more courses this summer and fall. "We live in a world where we are increasingly relying on wireless technology to live and work, so it's important to make sure our students have the opportunity to learn about the fundamentals of building and operating wireless networks," said Goulart in a prepared statement. "With the Aruba Mobility Academy curriculum, including hands-on lab lessons, students gain a pragmatic understanding of WiFi and learn how to keep the network secure while providing access to a variety of wireless and mobile devices."
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Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].