Union College Adds Wireless to Residential Network
Campus Technology – Spring 2013
A small private college in Schenectady, NY has hired a company that specializes in residential network services to upgrade and manage its student housing network. Union College, which has about 2,100 students, contracted with Apogee to fill out the wireless network in its residential halls. Over the winter break, the service provider, accompanied by campus personnel, moved through 20 dorms, fraternities, and sororities along with 31 campus houses, to install wireless equipment.
“Apogee has been a great partner throughout the whole process, from decision-making to funding to planning and implementation,” said CIO Ellen Borkowski “We were very pleased with how smoothly and quickly the implementation was completed.”
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10 Do’s and Don’ts of Outsourcing the ResNet
Campus Technology – Fall 2012
“After careful consideration of how we could support residents more efficiently while still providing for the daily management of the student ResNet, we decided to outsource the ResNet to Apogee, an Austin-based provider. Effective August 2010, we utilized this additional network support to expand our wireless infrastructure, providing full coverage to six existing residence halls and four apartment communities. With a new residence hall and apartments opening this month, Apogee is now providing ResNet services to more than 3,000 campus residents. Students living on campus demand ever-increasing levels of network bandwidth, coverage, and services. When tackling a residential networking overhaul, consider these best practices that we learned as we overhauled the network.”
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Future Proofing through Technology
EDUCAUSE Review – May/June 2012
“Like many higher education institutions, University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) has grappled with seismic changes in technology, an uncertain economic climate for graduating students, and the pressing need to do more with IT. UIW’s vision for IT is to provide a reliable technology infrastructure experience for its users while advancing the university’s mission through technological planning, innovation, and leadership. By capitalizing on technological trends such as virtualization, mobile applications, and outsourcing to meet its goal of improving and expanding IT services, the university’s IT department is helping to prepare the school to meet present and future user demands.”
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Dual-Mode Smartphones Are Shaping the Future of VoIP
ACUTA Journal – February 2012
“Mobile usage of the network has grown rapidly on university campuses since the introduction of the Apple iPhone and Android phones. For IT decision makers already challenged to keep up with skyrocketing bandwidth and mobility demands, the latest trend in a seemingly endless series of “game- changers” may not seem like a welcome development. With a strong network in place, however, the convergence of cellular and VoIP can bring welcome amenities to students frustrated by poor service or restrictive minute allotments.”
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No Longer Held Hostage by the Student Resnet
Campus Technology Magazine – August 25, 2011
“Several years ago, it was common for IT department staff at Birmingham-Southern College (BSC) to say that they were being held hostage by the student residential network. Jesse McKneely, director of infrastructure and project management, IT, Birmingham-Southern College said, ‘The memories of camping out in an office filled with virus-plagued student computers, trouble-shooting outdated network equipment, and the angry voices of our students are still fresh in my mind.’ But today BSC has an advanced ResNet solution that has led other schools and local businesses to seek out the IT department’s expertise on network design and security.”
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UNT stadium christened – Austin tech company Apogee inks $20 million deal for naming rights
Denton Record-Chronicle – August 13, 2011
“There are so many things you can look at today that are on the positive side,” said C. Dan Smith, chairman of the UNT Board of Regents. “This is just one of them. They are piling up.” Chuck Brady, Apogee’s founder and CEO, said that company officials could see those positives, which was why they decided to enter into one of the more unique naming rights deals for a college venue in the country. “We look at the challenges higher education is facing and see North Texas as a leader,” Brady said. “This stadium puts North Texas on the map and we get to come along for the ride.”
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$20 million naming rights deal seen as boon to UNT athletic department
Dallas Morning News – August 13, 2011
The UNT athletic department was prepared to scour the country to find a company willing to pay millions of dollars for naming rights to the school’s new 30,850-seat football stadium. In the end, a call to a partner it already knew well paid off in the form of a 20-year, $20 million deal with Apogee — one that school officials say will dramatically affect the entire athletic department. The new facility was officially christened Apogee Stadium on Friday. “With the financial support we are getting from Apogee, we will explode in all sports,” said C. Dan Smith, president of the UNT board of regents.
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UNT field becomes IT company showcase
Fort Worth Star-Telegram – August 13, 2011
If you happen to channel-surf into a University of North Texas football game this fall, you’ll likely catch the name of the Mean Green’s brand-new field: Apogee Stadium. But Apogee, the Austin-based information technology company that runs UNT’s student residential network, isn’t looking to cash in on that kind of exposure. “It’s certainly part of the mix, but I don’t really expect our prospective clients to be watching a [Mean Green] football game,” said Chuck Brady, Apogee’s CEO. Brady views UNT, with its proximity to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, as an ideal platform to show off his company’s success in running the ResNet since 2007. Apogee can easily bring prospects into the university for a visit, Brady said. “Our market is higher education,” he said. “UNT is a very large showcase for us.”
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Outsourcing the ResNet for Managed Service
EDUCAUSE Quarterly – June 2011
For several years, the information resources division of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) relied on internal staff and resources to meet students’ residential networking needs. No matter how long and hard we worked, though, we still felt like we were scrambling to catch up. Facing an unprecedented acceleration in the demand for bandwidth and mobility, UTPB began to fundamentally rethink the way they handled ResNet management.
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Making a case for Managed ResNet Services
ACUTA Journal – Spring 2011
“Managed residential networking, while a relatively new trend, is capturing the attention and fascination of an increasing number of administrators as they consider ways to run student housing networks that have the potential to work better and save money.”
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8 Tips for Wireless in the Residence Halls
Campus Technology – March 24, 2011
“Technological advancements in recent years have brought about an unprecedented blizzard of new mobile devices such as notebooks, tablet PCs, smart phones and gaming consoles in the marketplace. Like many students across the country, the students of Centenary College of Louisiana are bringing more devices to school. They have come to expect seamless wireless connectivity not just in the classrooms but also in the residence halls.”
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Models of Efficiency Spring 2011 – Innovations in Administrative Process
University Business Magazine – April 2011
“The iTunes generation is used to buying music, watching television, and playing video games on screens perched in their laps, not going to record stores, student lounges, or mall arcades. Getting all of that information from faraway servers to laptop computers places an enormous burden on campus networking resources and IT departments, many of which are underfunded and understaffed, yet are expected to meet students’ expectations of ever quicker access to entertainment.”
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Apogee Partner Details Wireless Success in Campus Technology Magazine
msnbc.com – April 19, 2011
“Centenary College IT Director discusses $1.4 million cost savings after partnering for managed ResNet services.”
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