New Brunswick Community College (NBCC), a prominent post-secondary educational institution in New Brunswick, Canada, has taken a significant step in modernizing its networking infrastructure to bolster education, training, and microcredentials, particularly in healthcare, IT, and skilled trades.
To achieve this goal, NBCC has opted to deploy an innovative HPE Aruba Networking ESP (Edge Services Platform) solution by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), designed to be AI-powered and Wi-Fi 6E-enabled.
With a mission to connect learners to opportunities for skill development and advancement in various industries, NBCC is leveraging advanced technology and innovative spaces to bridge the gap between distance and education. The adoption of HPE Aruba Networking’s high-performance, secure, and reliable infrastructure is fundamental in achieving this objective and reaching students dispersed across remote and underserved areas.
Simon Collier, Director of IT for NBCC, emphasized the significance of this modernization, stating, “Our high-performance, secure, and reliable HPE Aruba Networking infrastructure is critical for reaching students, regardless of where they live or what the weather is like during our notoriously harsh winters.” The move towards HPE Aruba Networking’s Wi-Fi 6E-enabled AP-635 indoor access points (APs) is geared towards future-proofing the institutional network, supporting a cloud-first academic model essential for delivering hands-on and hybrid educational experiences.
NBCC’s infrastructure deployment includes a range of solutions, from indoor APs to outdoor APs on the ingenious Mobile Training Center (MTC). The MTC serves as a mobile classroom space, equipped with the same robust Wi-Fi and wired infrastructure as physical campuses, offering a reconfigurable course-specific environment. Additionally, NBCC is integrating remote access points (RAPs) for teleworkers and implementing HPE Aruba Networking’s CX Series Switches for wired networking.
The use of HPE Aruba Networking APs as an IoT platform empowers NBCC to simplify the deployment and management of current and future IoT initiatives, performing IoT gateway functionality for various devices. The integration of AI-powered endpoint profiling within HPE Aruba Networking Central ensures seamless device identification within the network.
Furthermore, the adoption of HPE Aruba Networking Central for AI-powered network management, alongside HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass and Dynamic Segmentation, unifies and secures wired and wireless administration, offering automated, role-based security for endpoints and IoT solutions. This comprehensive approach enables NBCC to securely deploy a range of connected technologies, enhancing the physical security of students, faculty, and staff.
The collaboration with HPE Aruba Networking epitomizes NBCC’s commitment to providing cutting-edge education and access to resources, breaking barriers to education, and embracing innovation in delivering knowledge to all corners of the community.
