AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - Mar 11, 2014) - Apogee, the nation's largest, most innovative provider of on-campus residential networks (ResNet) in higher education, reports that the total number of Wi-Fi connected devices on campuses nationwide is skyrocketing -- more than tripling since the last academic year. These findings are based on a comparison of network demand data on Apogee's client campuses from the 2012 and 2013 academic years. This dramatic increase also continues to trend upwards through the current spring 2014 semester.
The increasing popularity in connected devices signals the importance for colleges and universities to provide scalable and reliable wireless network support. In addition to the greater number of devices, there is a larger variety of devices that students bring to campus, from smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles to streaming boxes.
Apogee's data also reveals:
- Students love their smartphones: iPhones lead the popularity race, followed by Android phones: iPhones and Android phones already comprise more than 50% of the total connected devices at campuses. By the numbers, the iPhone is the number one connected device. Furthermore, the number of iPhones connected to Wi-Fi at Apogee client campuses increased by 445% while Android phones grew 272%.
- Study and play! Students are bringing more entertainment devices to campus: Students are increasingly bringing a mix of office and home entertainment devices with them. Two connected devices that saw the largest increase are Nintendo 3DS systems and smart TVs, which increased over 1,000% over one school calendar year.
- Tablets are skyrocketing too: Tablet computers such as the iPad, Kindle and Android tablets are quickly filling up campuses. The iPad saw the largest increase of 275 percent in the year, while Android tablets saw an increase of 159 percent.
"With the threefold growth we're seeing, continually meeting wireless demands can be a huge strain for colleges and universities," said Chuck Brady, Apogee CEO. "Educational institutions that anticipate, and plan ahead while leveraging partners and resources are in a good position to meet growing challenges in performance, security and budget."
Apogee believes that an efficient and effective ResNet lays the foundation for students' and administrators' success. The schools who have partnered with Apogee to enhance their network infrastructure have experienced significant cost savings, increased student satisfaction, as well as freed up their staff time to focus on more academically focused tasks such as enhancing classroom and e-learning teaching and learning experiences.
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