Austin, TX & Towson, MD – May 17, 2012

Apogee, the nation’s largest provider of managed residential network (ResNet) services to higher education, today announced the completion of several high-performance ResNet installations that were deployed with impressive speed and efficiency in less than four weeks.

The deployments, which transitioned prior service contracts to Apogee’s service and support with minimal disruption to student residents, were performed for select residential communities at Towson University in Towson, Maryland and adjacent to the University of Texas at Austin, Texas.

“These efficient and successful installations exemplify Apogee’s commitment to meet the needs of our clients,” said Chuck Brady, Apogee CEO. “For more than a decade, we’ve worked to incorporate new lessons and build greater efficiencies into our installation process. Thanks to the seasoned experience and professionalism of our team, we’re able to design and deploy advanced network infrastructure – often over brief semester breaks – and still ensure that service is available when students need it.”

Paca and Tubman Halls, Towson University

Apogee’s seamless fall deployment at Towson University’s Millennium Hall brought two additional networks under the company’s management. Capstone Developments contracted with Apogee to deploy the following in Paca and Tubman halls:

• Replaced legacy infrastructure with high-speed wired access and comprehensive wireless coverage
• Replaced old equipment and expanded cable television service

“Capstone Management is thrilled to be able to provide an exceptional connectivity experience for our residents,” said Jennifer Hornbuckle, Director of University Affiliated Housing for Capstone at Towson University. “The Apogee team met our real-world time constraints and [the new service] only took four weeks to implement. Working only over winter break, Apogee was able to fully transition our network and guarantee that service was ready and waiting by the time our students arrived for the spring semester.”

26 West, The University of Texas at Austin

Prior to the service contract with Apogee, residents at 26 West had complained of the poor service they were receiving from the local cable company. Apogee technicians carefully layered a new fiber optic infrastructure along with pervasive wireless coverage in all three buildings. In less than four weeks, residents experienced the transformation to wall-to-wall wireless coverage and a 500% increase in wired download speeds. The installation included:

• Replaced cable modems with complete ground-up fiber optic network installation
• Deployed a comprehensive solution to ensure fast, pervasive Wi-Fi coverage
• Installed Voice-over-IP digital phone service and Video-over-IP digital channels

Long after each network deployment, Apogee continues to maintain consistently high service levels and provide toll-free access to 24/7/365 network support for all residents.

To learn more, contact Apogee at 1 (877) 478-8858 or by email at info@apogee.us.

About Apogee

Apogee is the nation’s largest and most innovative provider of on-campus residential networks (ResNets) for higher education. Partnering with Apogee for ResNet services allows colleges and universities to enhance their network infrastructure while offloading the growing volume of administrative responsibilities associated with managing a student network. This partnership allows IT to focus on the mission-critical tasks of the university, such as growing the enterprise network and facilitating the development and use of e-learning tools and content. For more information about Apogee and its services, visit www.apogee.us.

Media Contact
Nat Nealeigh, Apogee
512-478-8858 Ext. 124
nat@apogee.us

IT Department calls decision to outsource “a no-brainer”

Austin, TX & Brockport, NY – April 6, 2010

Apogee, the nation’s largest provider of managed residential network (ResNet) services to higher education, today announced that The College at Brockport has been awarded a national ‘Model of Efficiency’ award by University Business Magazine in recognition of their successful transition to Apogee’s ResNet services.  The Models of Efficiency program, sponsored by Higher One, recognizes administrative departments at colleges and universities for their efforts to save resources while improving service. The award marks the first issuance of a national award for outsourced ResNet service. 

The College at Brockport, a constituent college of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, first deployed Apogee’s managed service in 2006 after an extensive review of issues facing the residential network.

“We were looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars to upgrade initially and then about every three years to do it over and over,” said Shannon Sauro, Director of Telecommunications & Business Solutions, “whereas Apogee provides the service and the equipment along with the upgrades.”

In their award nomination, the College said that foregoing additional staff and equipment upgrades in favor of a managed solution saves the school at least $500,000 annually.  The decision enabled Brockport to defer significant capital investments and still deploy a robust wireless network in their residential housing, as well as offering students the benefit of Apogee’s 24/7/365 network support.

“Considering the enormous budget crunch facing state institutions today, Brockport has proven that they are ahead of the curve in facing the challenge of meeting rising technology demands while financial resources shrink,” said Chuck Brady, Apogee CEO.  “Managed service in the residence halls has been a huge tool in accomplishing that task.”

The school further reported that nearly 90 percent of students were satisfied with wired residential connectivity, while 80 percent were satisfied with wireless, far surpassing national satisfaction figures for telecommunications providers.

“We’re absolutely thrilled that The College at Brockport has been recognized for this decision,” said Brady.  “This is further evidence that the strategic implementation of managed ResNet service can add value to campuses from both a financial and a service-level perspective. We congratulate Brockport on this award and encourage other schools faced with ResNet challenges to review the Brockport model and consider the benefits of managed service for their campus.”

For their part, The College at Brockport has been very satisfied with the decision.  The solution, said Sauro, is simply “a no-brainer.”

To read the full article on The College at Brockport’s ‘Model of Efficiency’ award, visit www.apogee.us/awards/brockport.

About Apogee
Apogee is the largest, most innovative provider of on-campus residential networks (ResNet) in higher education. Partnering with Apogee for ResNet services allows colleges and universities to enhance their network infrastructure while offloading the growing volume of administrative responsibilities associated with managing a student network. This partnership allows IT to focus on the mission-critical tasks of the university, such as growing the enterprise network and facilitating the development and use of e-learning tools and content. For more information about Apogee and its services, visit www.apogee.us.

About The College at Brockport
The College at Brockport is a four-year liberal arts college located in Brockport, Monroe County, New York, near Rochester. A constituent college of the State University of New York, it has been ranked by U.S. News in the first tier of Master’s-granting colleges in the Northeast region, and by Kiplinger’s among the top 100 “Best Value” public colleges and universities in the United States.  For more information about The College at Brockport, visit www.brockport.edu.

About University Business Magazine
University Business is the leading provider of smart management solutions for higher education administrators at two- and four-year colleges and universities throughout the United States, and is the most-closely followed and most-regularly read information source in the industry, bringing top-quality journalism to the unique issues, challenges and opportunities faced by higher-education executives.  For more information about University Business Magazine, visit www.universitybusiness.com.

Media Contact
Nat Nealeigh, Apogee
512-478-8858 Ext. 124
nat@apogee.us

Austin, TX & Indianapolis, IN – April 26, 2012

Apogee, the nation’s largest provider of managed residential network (ResNet) services to higher education, today announced that it will be presenting and exhibiting at this year’s upcoming ACUTA Annual Conference, held April 29th through May 1st in Indianapolis, Indiana.

All higher education professionals in attendance are invited to stop by Apogee’s booth (#214) in the exhibit hall for a chance to spin the Apogee Prize Wheel and enjoy snacks, great prizes and good conversation.

Attendees are also invited to join Skip Hendrickson, Apogee’s National Director of Sales, on Tuesday, May 1st, between 10:30 – 11:30 am, for a presentation on how an outsourced model of ResNet service and administration can transform technology on campus and set the stage for an entirely new vision of IT leadership.

“Demand for bandwidth and wireless mobility have reached an all-time high in campus residences,” said Hendrickson. “Across the nation, we’re seeing more and more IT professionals question whether being a 24-hour ISP is still the right resource investment for IT as technology continues to play an ever more critical role in advancing the many other mission-critical goals of their institution.”

During the talk, which will also include time for questions and an open discussion, Hendrickson will aim to demonstrate how the right vendor relationship can expand network service and support, eliminate capital investments, stabilize operating budgets and transform the role of IT within your institution.

If you are interested in attending this presentation or would like to arrange a meeting during or after the conference, Apogee representatives will be available at any time to meet with you. Simply send a quick email to acuta@apogee.us and our team would be glad to set up a time that best fits your schedule.

About Apogee

Apogee is the nation’s largest and most innovative provider of on-campus residential networks (ResNets) for higher education. Partnering with Apogee for ResNet services allows colleges and universities to enhance their network infrastructure while offloading the growing volume of administrative responsibilities associated with managing a student network. This partnership allows IT to focus on the mission-critical tasks of the university, such as growing the enterprise network and facilitating the development and use of e-learning tools and content. For more information about Apogee and its services, visit www.apogee.us.

Media Contact

Nat Nealeigh, Apogee
512-478-8858 Ext. 124
nat@apogee.us

Austin & Galveston, TX – April 12, 2012

Apogee, the nation’s largest provider of managed residential network (ResNet) services for higher education, today announced its appointment as Texas A&M University at Galveston’s dedicated ResNet provider. Apogee was selected to deploy and manage advanced network services for on-campus residents, including high-speed broadband and an extensive new dense-capacity wireless infrastructure to extend coverage across the entire residential community.

Texas A&M University at Galveston needed to address mounting bandwidth and mobility challenges while still managing to stabilize costs and refocus IT resources on areas that would most impact the University. Following Apogee’s successful partnership with Tarleton University, another campus in the Texas A&M system, TAMUG decided that the time had come to rethink the traditional model of network service delivery for students and embraced managed residential networking with a trusted provider.

“By partnering with Apogee, TAMUG is able to provide the most advanced suite of ResNet services available in higher education today,” said Chuck Brady, Apogee CEO. “By leveraging our experience in project management, technical understanding and customer service, Apogee was able to complete an extensive wireless infrastructure deployment at a fraction of the time and cost, enabling TAMUG IT to refocus on projects that advance the mission of the University.”

Prior to the Apogee cutover, residents on Texas A&M’s Galveston campus only had access to “hot spot” wireless access in residential common areas. Following a rapid 23-day deployment over the winter semester break, students returning for the spring were greeted with new network service options and ubiquitous residential wireless coverage.

“We’re thrilled to expand within a system that has such a rich history and exciting future,” said Brady. “We look forward to a long and successful partnership providing cost-effective networks solutions that meet increasing student demand on technology.”

About Texas A&M University at Galveston

Texas A&M University at Galveston is a special-purpose institution of higher education for undergraduate and graduate instruction in marine and maritime studies in science, engineering and business and for research and public service related to the general field of marine resources. The institution is under the management and control of the Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System, with degrees offered under the name and authority of Texas A&M University at College Station. For more information about TAMUG, visit www.tamug.edu.

About Apogee

Apogee is the nation’s largest and most innovative provider of on-campus residential networks (ResNets) for higher education. Partnering with Apogee for ResNet services allows colleges and universities to enhance their network infrastructure while offloading the growing volume of administrative responsibilities associated with managing a student network. This partnership allows IT to focus on the mission-critical tasks of the university, such as growing the enterprise network and facilitating the development and use of e-learning tools and content. For more information about Apogee and its services, visit www.apogee.us.

Media Contact

Nat Nealeigh, Apogee
512-478-8858 Ext. 124
nat@apogee.us

Apogee, the nation’s largest provider of managed ResNet services to higher education, today announced a strategic partnership with Wells College to provide high-speed wired and wireless network service to all students living on campus.

The network deployment, which began in Fall 2010, has been hailed as a success by both administrators and student residents.

“We’re happy and our students are happy,” said Joel McCarthy, Dean of Students at Wells College. “It’s very important to us that we continue to meet the needs of our students. When students are satisfied with the services they are receiving, we’re able to shift our priorities to the other pursuits of the College and move forward on projects that advance our core academic mission.”

Under the partnership, Apogee has also taken responsibility for repairs and maintenance on all equipment related to the network and provides comprehensive 24/7 support to student residents in order to ensure connectivity across all their network-capable and mobile devices. While steeply rising bandwidth usage remains a major concern for many colleges and universities, Apogee’s partnership with Wells College further ensures that the residential campus will stay ahead of demand well into the future at no cost to the school.

“After more than a decade of experience in higher education, we’re seeing more and more institutions like Wells College make the strategic shift away from operating as an Internet service provider,” said Chuck Brady, Apogee CEO. “Partnering for managed service simply has a tremendous impact on schools once they are able to shed the financial and administrative burden of managing the student network and refocus those resources on other mission-critical goals.”

About Apogee

Apogee is the largest, most innovative provider of on-campus residential networks (ResNet) in higher education. Partnering with Apogee for ResNet services allows colleges and universities to enhance their network infrastructure while offloading the growing volume of administrative responsibilities associated with managing a student network. This partnership allows IT to focus on the mission-critical tasks of the university, such as growing the enterprise network and facilitating the development and use of e-learning tools and content. For more information about Apogee and its services, visit www.apogee.us.

About Wells College

Wells College is a nationally recognized liberal arts college located in the village of Aurora in the Finger Lakes region of central New York. The College is known as an exceptional value, pairing top quality academic programs with affordable tuition. Historically a women’s college, Wells became coeducational in 2005. For more information about Wells College, visit www.wells.edu.

Media Contacts
Nat Nealeigh, Apogee
512-478-8858 Ext. 124
nat@apogee.us

Throughout the summer, Apogee worked with The University of Texas at Arlington to transition from a residential technology setup with only basic wired Internet access to a new high-speed data network, seamlessly integrating all residential properties with the student ResNet and campus network. The new ResNet delivers advanced network access, Voice over IP phone service, and premium cable television options to the University’s 2,500 student residents.

Apogee is also completing a phased deployment of wireless coverage for all university residential properties. Additionally, a number of residential properties outside the campus network that had been acquired by the University received advanced residential technology upgrades and are now fully integrated into UT Arlington’s existing network infrastructure.

“We are proud of the many technological initiatives we have undertaken in recent years and now welcome Apogee as our latest technology partner,” said Frank R. Lamas, UT Arlington vice president for student affairs. “Apogee has a reputation as an innovative pioneer in residential networking for college campuses, and selecting Apogee as our ResNet provider demonstrates our commitment to maintaining the highest standard in residential technology.”

According to the University, Apogee was chosen largely based on a proven track record of successful network deployments, including a large-scale, one-step property integration at San Francisco State University that resembled the situation at UT Arlington.

“Apogee’s selection to work within the nation’s second largest university system is a true validation of our leadership in the field of residential networking,” said Charles Brady, Apogee CEO. “Since the network went live in August, Apogee has already received positive feedback from the university administration as well as from student residents. We will continue to work closely with the University to maintain the highest ResNet standards and to provide students with tools to develop into the next generation of leaders and innovators.”

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin also partnered with Apogee to deliver high-speed network access to the students living in on-campus housing. Installation began over summer 2010 for wired services with a planned phased deployment for comprehensive wireless coverage by winter 2010.

About Apogee

Apogee is the largest, most innovative provider of on-campus residential networks (ResNet) in higher education. Partnering with Apogee for ResNet services allows colleges and universities to enhance their network infrastructure while offloading the growing volume of administrative responsibilities associated with managing a student network. This partnership allows IT to focus on the mission-critical tasks of the university, such as growing the enterprise network and facilitating the development and use of e-learning tools and content. For more information about Apogee and its services, visit www.apogee.us.

About The University of Texas at Arlington

The University of Texas at Arlington is a Carnegie Research University/High Activity classified school of education excellence in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas. The University is home to nearly 33,000 students who purse nearly 190 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. For more information about UT Arlington, visit www.uta.edu.

About the University of Texas of the Permian Basin

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is a dynamic, growing campus of 3,600 students with a third ranked business school and nationally accredited social work program. Opened in 1973 students have benefited from small classes and instruction from professors who hold the highest credentials in their fields. For more information about UTPB, visit www.utpb.edu.

Austin, TX – February 15, 2012

Rapid advances in mobile VoIP have begun to enable student residents to bypass their cellular carriers entirely, said Chuck Brady, Chief Executive Officer of Apogee, the nation’s largest provider of managed residential network (ResNet) services to higher education, in an article in the winter edition of the ACUTA Journal. According to Brady, these digital mavericks will use wireless networks not just for surfing the internet, but also for calls, virtual teleconferencing and instant messaging on their network-enabled phones.

“From handheld VoIP applications to desktop videoconferencing, all signs suggest that the broadband network is the new frontier for digital communication, replacing legacy PSTN connectivity more rapidly than ever,” said Brady.

According to the article, the convergence of Web 2.0 architecture and increasing amounts of available bandwidth mean that new VoIP and Instant Message providers are now fighting for dominance with legacy carriers, like AT&T and Verizon.

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. Brady responds, however, that as long as the institution has a “strong residential network in place, the convergence of cellular and VoIP can bring welcome amenities to students frustrated by poor service or restrictive minute allotments.”

To eliminate the problem of poor in-building cellular coverage and switch seamlessly from cellular to network communication, Brady suggests that IT administrators explore VoWLAN, an increasingly popular FMC (fixed mobile convergence) solution, as a competitive differentiator and enhancement to core ResNet services. In addition to maximizing existing ResNet investments such as WLAN infrastructure, VoWLAN enables ResNet administrators to better manage, monitor, and integrate VoIP usage with existing data stores or back-end applications.

While many schools use Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) deployments to meet this goal in campus environments, even a perfect DAS deployment is significantly more costly than FMC while frequently being carrier-specific. By integrating FMC into the a robust IP network, the article suggests that schools could ultimately eliminate coverage issues, bypass minute and data caps on student cellular plans, and introduce an attractive, leading-edge amenity to the residence hall.

“As lectures, television, movies, and videoconferencing all move onto the wireless network, fixed mobile convergence is only the latest trend on the horizon to demonstrate the absolute necessity of deploying tomorrow’s robust wireless network today. Being able to rely on high-capacity, high-density wireless coverage throughout the residential community adds value across the entire spectrum of academic use, entertainment, resident retention, and student satisfaction,” concludes Brady.

To view the full article in the winter edition of the ACUTA Journal, visit http://www.apogee.us/pdf/ACUTA_Journal_Winter_2011.pdf.

About Apogee 

Apogee is the nation’s largest and most innovative provider of on-campus residential networks (ResNets) for higher education. Partnering with Apogee for ResNet services allows colleges and universities to enhance their network infrastructure while offloading the growing volume of administrative responsibilities associated with managing a student network. This partnership allows IT to focus on the mission-critical tasks of the university, such as growing the enterprise network and facilitating the development and use of e-learning tools and content. For more information about Apogee and its services, visit www.apogee.us.

Media Contact
Nat Nealeigh, Apogee
512-478-8858 Ext. 124
nat@apogee.us

Centenary College IT director discusses $1.4 million cost savings after outsourcing for managed ResNet services

Austin, TX & Shreveport, LA – April 19, 2011

Apogee, the nation’s largest provider of outsourced residential network (ResNet) services to higher education, today announced that long-time partner Centenary College of Louisiana has been featured in the online edition of Campus Technology Magazine.

The article, written by IT Director Scott Merritt, details eight tips to ensure residential wireless coverage based on the college’s own successful experience collaborating with Apogee to deploy wireless infrastructure in 2009.

“Our deployment couldn’t have gone better,” said Merritt. “[In Fall 2009], new and returning student residents were greeted with wireless connectivity for all their devices, and, with that, the college and our students gained entry into the modern era of mobile connectivity.”

By partnering with Apogee to outsource management of the residential student network, the college was able to achieve significant cost savings.

“In weighing the costs associated with doing this ourselves versus through our managed ResNet provider, Centenary was able to save approximately $1.4 million over the life of the contract,” said Merritt. “As [Apogee] assumed the initial investment for both equipment and installation, Centenary was able to defer up-front capital expenditures, yet promptly set up a wireless network that scales as technologies and student needs evolve.”

Now, after several years of successful residential wireless coverage, Centenary College is very pleased with the decision to outsource.

“I still remember how quickly the troubleshooting phone calls stopped as soon as we deployed managed ResNet,” said Merritt. “That simple decision empowered and freed up my team to work with Centenary’s administrators to focus on the more strategic and academic IT issues of our school.”

To view the full article in Campus Technology Magazine, visit http://www.apogee.us/features/centenary-wireless.

About Apogee
Apogee is the nation’s largest and most innovative provider of on-campus residential networks (ResNets) for higher education. Partnering with Apogee for ResNet services allows colleges and universities to enhance their network infrastructure while offloading the growing volume of administrative responsibilities associated with managing a student network. This partnership allows IT to focus on the mission-critical tasks of the university, such as growing the enterprise network and facilitating the development and use of e-learning tools and content. For more information about Apogee and its services, visit www.apogee.us.

About Centenary College
Centenary College of Louisiana is a private, four-year arts and sciences college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1825, it is the oldest chartered liberal arts college west of the Mississippi River and is one of 16 colleges and universities constituting the Associated Colleges of the South. Located in Shreveport, LA, Centenary is regularly rated as one of the top colleges in the South and is considered one of the nation’s “Best 361 Colleges” by The Princeton Review. For more information about Centenary College of Louisiana, visit www.centenary.edu.

Media Contact
Nat Nealeigh, Apogee
512-478-8858 Ext. 124
nat@apogee.us

Apogee, the nation’s largest provider of managed residential network (ResNet) services for higher education, today announced a partnership with Genesee Community College in Batavia, NY to deploy comprehensive ResNet services to the school’s roughly 400 on-campus residents. The decision to partner with Apogee follows several years of service offered by a regional cable provider.

“The network services that were put in place by the cable provider just didn’t meet the needs of Genesee’s residential community,” said Chuck Brady, Apogee CEO. “As robust wireless coverage and support for network-enabled mobile devices become a necessity on campus, we’re seeing that many of the solutions offered by large, mass-market ISPs who don’t have an exclusive focus on ResNet just no longer cut it.”

According to John Sisson, director of Genesee’s College Village residences, the move to a specialized ResNet provider was part of a strategic investment in the success of Genesee’s student population.

“The number one goal of the GCC Foundation is student success [and] this new network upgrade greatly assists our residents in becoming successful students,” said John Sisson, director of College Village.

Prior to the transition, GCC students experienced only limited wireless coverage and shared bandwidth access within each unit. Immediately after the the switch last December, students began enjoying dense capacity wireless coverage throughout every residential housing community, as well as comprehensive network access with dedicated bandwidth per user. Residents also benefit from live 24-hour network support accessible by phone, email or text message, as well as expanded VoIP phone and cable television choices.

“The wireless internet is working flawlessly so far,” said Kaileigh Domster, a resident assistant at College Village. “I love that I can connect my personal laptop to the network and not have any connection issues.”

The need for reliable network access on campus extends beyond campus living to academics, said Domster.

“It’s imperative that we can connect with our professors for any last minute questions regarding final papers or final exams,” Domster added.

About Genesee Community College

Genesee Community College is located outside the Upstate New York city of Batavia and nestled amid the scenic villages and farmland of the Genesee Region. Since its founding in 1966 as part of the prestigious State University of New York, Genesee has become one of the most highly-respected community colleges in the United States. For more information, visit www.genesee.edu.

About Apogee

Apogee is the largest, most innovative provider of on-campus residential networks (ResNet) in higher education. Partnering with Apogee for ResNet services allows colleges and universities to enhance their network infrastructure while offloading the growing volume of administrative responsibilities associated with managing a student network. This partnership allows IT to focus on the mission-critical tasks of the university, such as growing the enterprise network and facilitating the development and use of e-learning tools and content. For more information about Apogee and its services, visit www.apogee.us.