How Allegheny College Built a Better Campus Experience at Lightning Speed
Published: August 26, 2024
Allegheny College is a distinguished liberal arts institution in Meadville, PA, with roughly 1,400 undergraduate students on campus and a roster of notable alumni that includes a U.S. president as well as leaders in a number of fields.
When Allegheny College CIO Katrina Yeung first joined, she was immediately faced with the challenge of replacing an outdated network infrastructure that needed an urgent overhaul. Her first phone call was to a partner she trusted, Networking Technologies, with a bold request – she needed a full network overhaul in a fraction of the time.
Networking Technologies and Extreme Networks were up to the task. From decision to implementation, both teams worked together to ensure Allegheny College’s students and faculty had the connectivity they needed.
Middle of July was when we placed the order for the core switching. And I think it was here in three weeks and we had it installed the next week. We made the decision for the layer two and the access points in mid-September. It was here well before Thanksgiving, and we had residence halls functioning by Thanksgiving and the rest of campus up by Christmas. It was extremely fast from decision to implementation.
The speed and execution of this particular project was unparalleled in the industry. This was a very unique situation and we had to bring all of the resources that we could, both Extreme Networks as well as Networking Technologies, and bring that all into play because it was such a tight schedule. But it was a schedule that had to happen - there was no choice.
Challenges
- Outdated network infrastructure causing connectivity issues.
- High expectations from students and parents for reliable wireless access and modern technology.
- An imminent deadline with students arriving in three weeks and no functional internet.
Extreme Solutions
- Extreme Wireless
- Universal Switching
- ExtremeCloud IQ
- Partnership with Networking Technologies
Results
- Swift and efficient network overhaul, meeting tight deadlines.
- Significant improvement in network reliability and performance.
- Enhanced visibility and management of the network through ExtremeCloud IQ.
- Positive feedback from students and faculty, with reduced complaints and issues.