Back to School
challenge of dead zones, oſten brought about by internal building changes, where the signal available is insufficient to support digital learning. Tis can be solved by carefully mapping the campus for usage strengths and densities. Beyond reliability, education-focused network solutions must
be simple to deploy and effortless to manage. Many schools lack IT teams and therefore do not have a dedicated person to support and maintain the infrastructure. As well as being reliable, education networks have to offer multi-level management in order to maintain efficiency.
Affordability without compromise Unlike in the world of enterprise IT, education budgets are tight, with funding needing to be intelligently allocated. As Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of the NAHT, noted: “School budgets are under immense pressure, making it increasingly difficult to keep pace with the digital revolution.” Connectivity infrastructure in schools must offer a low total cost
of ownership, with hardware needing to be cost-effective to buy, install, and maintain. On top of that, there must be transparency about the initial hardware investment and any subsequent ongoing support or license fees. Providers that offer free cloud or on- premises soſtware that, for example, include remote management and monitoring services, are an attractive choice for schools and colleges. As school budgets generally use public money, it is vital that all costs incurred can be justified from the outset. Tis underscores the importance for networking providers to offer not just products, but partnerships, supporting institutions with tailored, solution-led approaches that align with their educational goals and budgetary restraints.
Security and performance in the age of digital learning Another vital requirement for networking solutions in schools is that they need to be secure. Recently, ransomware groups and other threat actors have been increasingly turning their gaze towards public institutions. Tis is due to the large amounts of personal data they hold, a key target for criminal groups. By adopting a single vendor
approach to the network, establishments can use technology such as Soſtware Defined Networking (SDN) to reduce the attack surface, offering greater protection. Tis is further enhanced by strong encryption, secure access controls, and network segmentation to limit exposure. An additional benefit of this approach is that Windows 11
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“Connectivity infrastructure in schools must offer a low total cost of ownership, with hardware needing to be cost-effective to buy, install, and maintain.”
devices are being adopted. Tese devices can join the network more efficiently, with improved speed and network segmentation, and benefit from the end-to-end visibility that SDN offers, streamlining their set-up and support. When selecting a networking provider, educational institutions
should look beyond the spec sheet. Te right partner will understand the particular challenges of the sector and offer solutions designed specifically for their educational environments. Tis means prioritising reliability, affordability, and ease of use, while also providing responsive support and future-ready technology. As digital learning continues to evolve, schools and universities
must ensure their infrastructure can keep pace. Choosing the right partner is a strategic decision that affects not just IT operations, but student outcomes and teacher effectiveness.
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