AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - Jul 7, 2015) - A recent article in Campus Technology titled "6 ResNet Pain Points and What to Do About Them" features Union College's outsourcing success with Apogee. Chief Information Officer (CIO), Ellen Yu Borkowski, said that by outsourcing the ResNet, Union College has reaped better value through guaranteed service levels and 24/7 support.
In the article, Borkowski said Union College's residential network "was a pain point" when she first came on board. Equipment and wireless coverage were sorely in need of upgrading, and manpower was too stretched to provide needed round-the-clock support. After evaluating and weighing the options and costs of outsourcing over five years, Borkowski decided to transition ResNet services to Apogee in January 2013. "They ended up being cheaper than doing it ourselves and they guarantee a certain bandwidth, the cost of which would be hard to anticipate," she said. "That falls on the shoulders of Apogee with a consistent fixed cost to me over five years."
"Apogee is proud to provide a best-of-breed ResNet solution that meets and exceeds the expectations of Union College students and administrators," said Chuck Brady, Chief Executive Officer of Apogee. "Student needs are evolving rapidly. Excellent wall-to-wall wireless, 24/7 support and built-in infrastructure upgrades not only help schools meet quality of life needs for residents, but also reduce negative effects on the bottom line for the institution."
In analyzing the reasons behind a jump in ResNet outsourcing to 38 percent in 2015, the article also quoted Ric Simmons of Louisiana State University, who opined that institutions are outsourcing to save money. "Funding continues to be a challenge, along with staff retention, and those two tend to be intertwined. Outsourcing can provide relief in the cost to maintain cable and network infrastructure as well as support staff," he said.
The article also listed a few other pain points, two of which are summarized below:
1. Improving Wireless Coverage: Bandwidth alone is not enough -- students want anytime, anywhere access. To meet this demand, 65.4% of schools now provide robust wireless coverage (of four bars or more) throughout more than 80 percent of their campuses. With an Apogee wireless solution, institutions can provide "anywhere" access -- from buildings and common areas to laundry rooms and poolside lounge chairs.
2. Bandwidth: To Shape or Not to Shape?: The article noted that many colleges and universities are being forced to bolster their residential networks with more bandwidth. To stem spiraling costs, 55 percent of institutions surveyed that provide their own bandwidth also limit and/or shape bandwidth, compared to 21 percent who outsource. Apogee's managed ResNet services and tiered bandwidth options eliminate policy implementation decisions and keep expenditures under control.
For more pain points, read the full article on Campus Technology's website.
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, Business and Housing to focus on the mission-critical tasks of the university. Find out why nine out of 10 schools that outsource their ResNet choose Apogee at apogee.us.