Washington University in St. Louis is starting a major network upgrade in November 2024. The project will replace older equipment, like routers and switches, with new, faster technology. This will help the WashU network handle more data, run quicker, and be more reliable for everyone on campus.
The Network Modernization effort will enable a 10-fold increase in bandwidth to meet the university’s expanding academic and research needs. The improvements are important as more students and staff use data-heavy apps, cloud services, and connected devices. “We are a dynamic and ever-expanding higher education institution ranked in the top 25 of national universities; we must have a high standard for the technology we deploy across campus,” said Greg Hart, Chief Technology Officer at Washington University in St. Louis.
Today’s higher education organizations require a network that can keep up with the growing number of users, devices, and applications that students and staff rely on to access online resources, submit coursework, and complete exams. Further, Washington University will have built-in security and hyper-segmentation, dramatically limiting the risks of edge and IoT devices compromising the network.
“The network is the strategic foundation of educational experiences, student and staff productivity, and campus operations – it has to work. With the Network Modernization Project, we will reduce the complexity of network management, streamline network operations, and reduce overhead. And, most importantly, we will create a secure, resilient, and high-performing network that fuels innovation and experiences across our campus.”
The Network Modernization Project team has now published the schedule for the upcoming Network maintenance. Please look for your building on the schedule, as we may be visiting your area soon!
To learn more, please visit the WashU IT Network Modernization Project webpage.