RMIT University Deploy $2 Million Nortel Network
RMIT University Deploy $2 Million Nortel Network
May 1, 2008: Following on from the $7 Million IP Telephony deal, RMIT University has signed on for a $2 Million expansion of its data network with Nortel.
Nortel explain that the upgrade will boost network bandwidth tenfold and will be running RMIT’s voice solution. The new data network will be beamed across 12,500 PCs and support voice traffic from 5,000 IP phones.
“Once the data network is in place we will be dealing with one converged network which will be much easier to maintain than two previously separate data and voice platforms, especially now that users are increasingly using multiple devices to make voice calls, watch videos or access the various teaching and research resources we make available online,” says Allan Morris, executive director, IT Services, RMIT University.
According to Morris, the University can now launch the full range of voice features on the data network and immediately have access to personal settings, caller groups and personal extension numbers no matter where or with what type of device someone connects to the network.
“Everything is managed centrally, all the way down to access privileges for individual users. Personal settings no longer have to be hard coded into physical devices because they’re configured automatically whenever I connect a new device to the network. This gives us a great platform on which to build and evolve our IP telephony network with Nortel.”
The network upgrade itself will involve 920 network switches being replaced with Nortel ERS 4500s and will also provide Power-over-Ethernet support for the IP telephone handsets and other network-powered devices like webcams. RMIT also has Nortel ERS 8600 switches at its data core which are slated to be upgraded with 10-gigabit support.
“A few years ago 100 megabits to the desktop was considered enough bandwidth for most applications, but today speeds of one gigabit or more are commonplace,” says Morris.
“This bandwidth explosion, caused by the Hyperconnectivity phenomenon, has been driven by new types of users – savvy, highly mobile users that are accustomed to having all their digital media in easy reach, on any device,” he says. “I can tell you it’s not pie-in-the-sky because it’s happening right here at our University.”