Education
How fabric networks improve the UK student experience
There’s a saying in the technology industry: ‘Nobody cares as long as it works’. This is particularly true for of users demand more than the basics of connectivity, schools and universities are rarely interested in exploring the potential of high-quality network infrastructure. They have too many priorities elsewhere to justify spending above the minimum on their network foundations. However, that’s set to change as Dahwood Ahmed, regional director UK&I at Extreme Networks explains.
U 24 | May/June 2024
niversities and schools in the UK now share the challenge of adapting
to the world’s digital and technological revolution on a shrinking budget; capped tuitions, record inflation, and soaring energy bills mean schools could face a £2 billion funding shortfall. Tis puts enormous pressure on
IT departments to find affordable, secure, long-term solutions. Teir first stop to solving this challenge
should be the network infrastructure, establishing a secure fabric network to facilitate the creation of an innovative, modern campus. But what does that mean, and how does it work?
The rise of tech Te rise of tech in schools and universities is about more than preparing students for the future. Technology shapes education itself; how we think about, interact with, and use knowledge. It’s a core part of the student’s learning journey. Tink personalised digital learning platforms, high-quality streaming, digital social interactions, immersive VR lessons, simulations, reliable distance learning, online assessments, and more. However, a connected campus’s digital tools and omnichannel
experiences must be integrated to deliver a seamless experience everywhere – from learning management systems and classrooms to research labs, libraries, lecture halls, athletic venues, and student housing. Tat’s easier said than done on a traditional network. In fact, it’s nigh impossible. All the above technologies require
a rapid, low-latency, stable connection. Tis is hard enough for a traditional network to achieve in an isolated space with a few devices, let alone amid a vibrant student campus with waves of traffic spikes and hundreds, sometimes thousands of devices.
The fall of budgets All this technological development also needs to be done on a budget. And one that’s shrinking. Tis began in 2017 with the freezing of tuition fees for domestic students at £9,250, which means inflation has brought that value down to around £6,000 at 2012–13 prices. It’s a significant decrease in the value of funding per student. To address the shortfall, universities began to rely on the
recruitment of international students, who did not have a tuition cap
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