Success Stories


Solution Spotlight: Network Infrastructure and Implementation

Customer: Private Educational Institution
Location: Northeastern Ohio
 

Highlights

MCPc designed, procured and installed the technology infrastructure in this educational institution’s new middle school building. The new infrastructure — consisting of servers, wireless, phone, audiovisual, PCs and security — resulting in a highly functional and safe environment, equipped to meet student and faculty technology needs.

Benefits

  • IP-video surveillance system simplifies ongoing security and reduces costs.
  • VoIP phone system creates operational efficiencies for long-distance communications and provides enhanced functionality.
  • Controller-based wireless system provides school staff with better manageability, flexibility and ease of use.

Business Need

This private school district was building a new middle school with approximately 50 classrooms. It was seeking a complete technology build – including network infrastructure, server, wireless, phone, audiovisual, PCs and security – and had a $450,000 budget.

After a series of meetings, the district chose MCPc for the project due to its experience in the education industry, business partner referrals and Cisco expertise.

Solution

Since construction was still in the planning phase, MCPc met with both the customer and the building architect early to define the project scope, including the number of rooms, PCs, phones, employees and students.

Using drawings of the building, MCPc then began to design the core network infrastructure, detailing where equipment would be housed and how it would be connected together. During this phase, the design for the physical building evolved numerous times; MCPc adapted and refined its recommendations to meet the customer and architect’s needs.

MCPc finalized its solution once building plans were complete, approximately 6-7 months prior to the opening of the building. While the school was being constructed, hardware was ordered, staged and configured at MCPc’s Cleveland warehouse and storage facility.

Upon building completion, the network infrastructure was installed, including a chassis-based core switch, and a number of PoE edge switches and voice-enabled routers.

From there, other hardware was installed to run off the main network. The phone and voicemail system consisted of Cisco Call Manager and Unified Communications, along with 100 VoIP phones, which were placed in faculty offices and classrooms.

Wireless Internet access was configured using a Cisco wireless control server with roughly 50 access points. By enabling WIFI throughout the building, the school was able to reduce the number of computer labs needed, and students could use their own personal laptops in the classrooms.

For security purposes, a Cisco IP video surveillance system with 15 cameras was installed. One of the first installs of its kind in the Cleveland area, this new technology records to the server, as opposed to a VCR or DVD player. In doing so, the end user is able to access the cameras from any location by logging into a secure intranet. HP standard and thin-client PCs were installed for faculty and in computer labs, respectively.

In addition, every classroom was equipped with a screen and projector, enabling basic audiovisual capabilities. Finally, the application virtualization, which was done by MCPc in the school’s previous building, was transferred to the new building.

From first meeting to final installation and quality-assurance testing, MCPc worked closely with the customer and building architects for approximately two years to successfully complete this project.

Results

Overall feedback from the school was very positive — the IT staff was impressed with the ease of the process and MCPc’s flexibility, even when schedules had to be modified due to construction delays.

The VoIP phone system creates operational efficiencies for long-distance communications and provides enhanced functionality, such as 4-digit dials to any building on the network.

With a controller-based wireless system, the school’s staff will experience better manageability, flexibility and ease of use. For instance, if one access point were to go down, the neighboring units would recognize this and compensate by turning up their signals automatically.

The IP-video surveillance system simplifies ongoing security and reduces costs. Since everything is saved to the server and accessed online, administrators can log into a camera from home instead of having to drive to the school any time there is a possible disturbance. Information from the cameras can also be archived and pulled up at any time for review, without the hassle of sorting through physical tapes.

In addition, the security system runs on the same cabling environment as the wireless network and phone system, reducing installation costs. Digital recordings provide long-term savings by eliminating the need for physical tapes and 24/7 staffing.

Groundwork was also put in place for future installs, which had to be postponed due to budget restrictions. For example, the school plans on putting Smart Boards in every classroom and installing additional security cameras at a later date.

Most importantly, on the first day of school in September 2010, students will be greeted with a highly functional and safe environment, equipped to meet their technology needs.

If you are in need of a network infrastructure design and implementation, MCPc is available to speak with you about your options, and help you plan for the future.

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