| Wireless tops campus technology trends |
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Wireless networking on college and university campuses is not only the biggest communications trend in the last three to five years, but a trend that’s continuing, as nearly three out of four schools say they plan to expand their networks over the next two years. This is one of the key findings in the latest member survey by ACUTA, the Association for Information Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education, which surveyed members in connection with its Fall Seminar. The survey asked members to identify the most significant change in their cabling and wiring infrastructure over the last several years. 60% said that change was deployment of wireless networks, compared with 13% pointing to installation of fiber optic cable and another 13% citing rewiring projects for technology upgrades. Two out of three survey respondents said it was the demand for “connectivity anywhere” that drove their key networking change, while 40% said the evolution of communication styles was a major factor, both of which underlie the move to wireless. Meeting growing capacity needs and migration to VoIP and Unified Communications were other drivers cited, at 33% and 23%, respectively. The single greatest benefit of their change, the responding ACUTA members said, was: network access anywhere and anytime, at 42% of respondents; user convenience (23%); network efficiencies (17%); and greater bandwidth (10%). On the downside, 56% of respondents said the cost of their change was their greatest challenge, while another 21% said locating and installing the many wireless access points needed for coverage was their biggest hurdle. Asked about the next significant step in their campus networking, 71% said expansion of their wireless network—or installation of one if they haven’t done so already—is in their plans. Another 19% pointed to additional rewiring projects as information communications technology evolves. As far as the timeframe for their next big steps, 73% of respondents expect to take those steps within a year. Finally, asked to identify how their ongoing changes affect themselves and their departments, the professionals said the highest-impact issues are ever-tightening budgets, a greater need for long-range planning, the need to learn new technology skills, the fact that growing campuses mean more responsibility for their departments, and the challenge of finding employees with the right mix of skills. |
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