SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARUN), a leading provider of next-generation network access solutions for the mobile enterprise, today announced that Ryerson University, Canada’s leader in innovative, career-focused education, is deploying Aruba’s 802.11ac solution in its new Ted Rogers School of Management, as well as in select locations across campus. The progressive University, which maintains a campus in the heart of downtown Toronto, will also upgrade many of its existing Aruba access points to the Aruba AP-220 Series 802.11ac APs and plans to use Aruba’s 802.11ac solution including the patented ClientMatchTM technology, for all new installations, moving forward. In its initial deployment of 802.11ac, Ryerson is already seeing significant increases in performance for both 802.11ac, as well as older, 802.11n devices and anticipates speeds of up to 800 Mbps when the network is complete.
Ryerson University has long been regarded as a technology innovator in the academic world and a leader in application-based teaching wherein students not only learn theory, but how to apply that theory. For example, The University’s Digital Media Zone is a unique integration between local, Toronto businesses and Ryerson students that results in numerous entrepreneurial ventures and student-led start-ups, as well as traditional job placements for students. Network connectivity and, in particular, wireless access, is crucial to the operation of the Digital Media Zone, as well as Ryerson’s entire campus. While Ryerson’s location is ideal for daily interaction between the campus and the surrounding community, it also presents numerous challenges for the IT department. Mourad Michael, Assistant Director of Communications Infrastructure for Ryerson, explained, “Our campus is surrounded by high-rise buildings. As a result, we’re frequently plagued by signals and rogues from all over campus and the surrounding area. Secure and reliable coverage is critical in this kind of environment.“
In addition, like many universities, Ryerson is witnessing an explosion of mobile devices on campus and, in keeping with its reputation for technological innovation, the University wants to ensure that its 30,000+ students and 2,700 staff and faculty can all connect to important applications and resources anytime and from anywhere on campus. Said Michael, “Our campus is very large with two brand new buildings and one more – a new student learning center – under construction. Connecting across the entire campus is paramount for the University and the neighboring community that interacts with us.”
As an already satisfied Aruba Networks customer, Michael said it was an easy decision to turn to Aruba for Ryerson’s network upgrade and expansion. With an ultimate goal of moving to a complete 802.11ac infrastructure in the future, Ryerson has already deployed 250+ of the 1,000 Aruba AP-225 802.11ac access points it plans to install throughout its three-story business school, and to replace some of its older model Aruba APs across campus. Ryerson is also using a mix of Aruba AP-135 and AP-105 access points, Aruba Mobility Controllers and the AirWave Network Management System. Aruba Remote Access Points (RAPs) are offered as a standard service for University departments that need to establish virtual, remote offices, as well.
“Currently, we have 90-95 percent wireless coverage across our campus,” said Michael. “We’d like to get to 100 percent and cover some of the current ‘dead zones’ such as a few green areas on campus where students like to convene and need access. The goal is to ensure that all new installations are 802.11ac, and, as budget allows, we hope to upgrade the entire campus to .11ac to deliver improved performance and bandwidth to all our users.”
Performance is one of the key benefits of Ryerson’s 802.11ac deployment. With the combination of Aruba’s AP-225 access points and unique ClientMatch technology, which matches mobile devices to the best possible access point each time they connect, 802.11n devices in the school have achieved speeds of up to 600Mbps, and 802.11ac clients are expected to experience speeds of up to 800 Mbps, once the network is in full production.
With the upgraded and expanded Aruba network, Ryerson can ensure that all of its users – which can hit peaks of 15,000 concurrent connections – have the right access to the educational tools they need. For example, with the Aruba mobility controllers, Ryerson has created different roles to allow student of a particular school (such as the business school) to access resources, groups and applications specific to their department. Michael noted that most students use video – both for educational and entertainment purposes – and the University is quickly moving away from analog or digital phones and deploying Voice over IP (VoIP) via the wireless network. In addition to its classrooms, which are all wireless-enabled, Ryerson relies on the wireless network for administrative purposes, connecting its campus cash registers and card swipe machines and using the network for asset tracking.
In the future, Ryerson is considering adding Aruba’s ClearPass Access Management System and AirGroup capabilities to the mix for onboarding of mobile devices and to manage Apple Bonjour traffic, respectively. With its expanded Aruba network in place, Ryerson expects to continue serving its distinctive mix of students, faculty, businesses and the surrounding community, providing them with secure, reliable and high-performing connectivity.
About Aruba Networks, Inc.
Aruba Networks is a leading provider of next-generation network access solutions for the mobile enterprise. The company’s Mobile Virtual Enterprise (MOVE) architecture unifies wired and wireless network infrastructures into one seamless access solution for corporate headquarters, mobile business professionals, remote workers and guests. This unified approach to access networks enables IT organizations and users to securely address the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) phenomenon, dramatically improving productivity and lowering capital and operational costs.
Listed on the NASDAQ and Russell 2000® Index, Aruba is based in Sunnyvale, California, and has operations throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific regions. To learn more, visit Aruba at http://www.arubanetworks.com. For real-time news updates follow Aruba on Twitter and Facebook, and for the latest technical discussions on mobility and Aruba products visit Airheads Social at http://community.arubanetworks.com.
© 2014 Aruba Networks, Inc. Aruba Networks’ trademarks include Aruba Networks®, Aruba The Mobile Edge Company® (stylized), Aruba Mobility Management System®, People Move Networks Must Follow®, Mobile Edge Architecture®, RFProtect®, Green Island®, ETips®, ClientMatchTM, Virtual Intranet AccessTM, ClearPass Access Management SystemsTM, Aruba InstantTM, ArubaOSTM, xSecTM, ServiceEdgeTM, Aruba ClearPass Access Management SystemTM, AirmeshTM, AirWaveTM, Aruba CentralTM, and “ARUBA@WORKTM. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
