Network Achievements at Hardin-Simmons University Featured in eCampus News

AUSTIN, TX and ABILENE, TX--(Marketwire - Oct 26, 2011) - Apogee partner Hardin-Simmons University was recently recognized in the nation-wide journal eCampus News for meeting the growing challenge of bandwidth management by signing on with Apogee to manage bandwidth and ResNet on campus.

The article, "Schools face bandwidth battles," published in the October 2011 edition of the magazine, cited the increasing demand for bandwidth faced by higher education institutions and highlighted some of the challenges and solutions found at several schools across the nation.

Quoting HSU's Associate Vice President for Technology Services, Travis Seekins, the article said that "[partnering to offload] the distribution of bandwidth to administrative and residential areas has 'lessened the load' on the university's network administrators, leaving more time for pressing technology issues on campus."

In interviews included in the article, HSU students agreed.

"Bryan Schulle, a senior at Hardin-Simmons and a residence assistant in one of the campus dorms, said before [Apogee] upgraded bandwidth from 45 Mbps to scalable gigabit interface, students would roam around dormitories looking for a wireless connection strong enough to accomplish basic tasks like checking websites or email accounts."

Schulle added that high-speed connections to the network were no longer considered a luxury by students, but an expectation.

"I think it would be a big deterrent for colleges not to have high-speed web access," said Schulle, "because a lot of students look at that as a sign of excellence."

Other campuses featured in the article took a different approach to bandwidth management. Cornell University, for example, recently implemented a decision to charge students for exceeding a predetermined bandwidth cap -- a policy that drew ire from the student body.

In a petition submitted to the administration, students wrote, "By charging us for our internet usage, the Cornell University administration hinders our ability -- and our willingness -- to use the internet for recreational purposes."

Down the road from Cornell, Ithaca College, an Apogee partner since 2004, has been able to provide sufficient bandwidth to their residential community without bandwidth caps or metered usage.

In a 2009 interview, Ed Fuller, Ithaca's Associate Vice President of Information Services, described the school's approach to the growing ResNet challenges on campus.

"We really weren't in the business of being an ISP for our students," said Ed Fuller. "[We decided] that there may be a role for outsourcing as a solution to get some of the day-to-day concerns of running a residential network off of our plate and into the hands of people who were better at it than we."

Fuller added that since making the switch to manage ResNet, "We've been able to devote our attention to making a better, more secure, more reliable network for the rest of the campus community to use."

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 Hardin-Simmons University

Founded in 1891 by a dedicated group of ministers, ranchers, and merchants, Hardin-Simmons University continues its commitment to developing the mind and nurturing the spiritual life of its students. Affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas since 1941, HSU provides an academically challenging undergraduate education based on a liberal arts foundation, and advances scholarly growth by offering specialized graduate and professional degree programs. For more information on Hardin-Simmons University, visit www.hsutx.edu.

About Ithaca College

Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is also known internationally for its communications program; The Park School of Communications. The college has been ranked among the top ten master's universities in the North by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1996. For more information, visit www.ithaca.edu.