Wireless technology is becoming as much a part of today’s classrooms as chalkboards, books and desks.
Nearly four out of five colleges or universities have deployed wireless networks on their campuses, according to the most recent “College Technology Review” by Market Data Retrieval, a division of Dun & Bradstreet. The percentage of colleges and universities that have deployed wireless networks has grown from 45 percent in 2002 to 79 percent this year. Of the institutions that have wireless networks, 65 percent say they provide wireless connectivity in libraries, 62 percent in classrooms, 55 percent in computer labs, 47 percent in student centers and 25 percent in dormitories.
“Most campuses view wireless deployment as a key technology for supporting an increasingly mobile population,” said William Deigaard, director of networking, telecommunications and operations at Rice University. “For many of us, it is no longer a novel technology that enhances our campus. It is expected by most visitors and demanded by more people every day.”
Harvard Medical School has deployed an extensive wireless network covering its campus and the hospitals associated with the school. Dr. John Halamka, chief information officer for the school, said students and faculty can use the MyCourses handheld applications to gain anywhere access to all of the school’s content, including everything from streaming video of lectures to animated anatomy illustrations.
Wireless technology isn’t reserved for colleges and universities. During the past four years, the percentage of K-12 schools using wireless systems of any kind has increased from 10 percent to 37 percent, according to MDR’s “Technology in Education” report, which focuses on technology in the K-12 setting. The report found wireless networks are more likely to be found in senior and junior high schools than in elementary schools, and in larger schools rather than smaller schools, but schools of all levels have been deploying wireless technology at a steady pace.
“Wireless networks are generally much less expensive to install than wired networks that require running wires in buildings that were not designed for such technology, and they provide considerably more flexibility in where and how technology can be utilized. In most cases, wireless networks go hand-in-hand with the increase in the number of laptops, notebooks and other mobile devices,” said the report.
Wireless is not necessarily new in schools and on campuses. In many cases, wireless access points have been deployed in a piecemeal fashion. Many schools and districts are now looking at ways to standardize their wireless deployments.
“I was surprised to find out we had a good 100 access points already installed when we really got serious about standardizing,” said Scott Friberg, manager of network and PC services for the Adams 12 Five- Star School District in Colorado. The district includes four high schools, 10 middle schools and 35 elementary schools as well as other facilities serving more than 36,000 students.
The district recently deployed Chantry Networks’ BeaconWorks enterprise-class wireless local area network router. In addition to providing mobile connectivity, the district focused first on a point-of-sale application that provides a debit-like service for the schools’ cafeterias.
But while wireless creates opportunities for creative learning and more mobility, it also opens up the possibility of security breaches and rogue access points. Tom Racca, vice president of marketing at Chantry, said the company’s system helps lock down rogue access points by allowing the network to be managed and monitored centrally. The Chantry system also addresses security concerns by requiring users to log in and provide passwords to access the network, and access levels are tied to user accounts.
Ever budget-conscious, schools are looking for ways to get monetary returns on their wireless network investments.
“A lot of people jumped on the Wi-Fi bandwagon,” said Dave Mason, a wireless and computer consultant and host of a nationally syndicated radio talk show on technology. “Now they are trying to find ways to legitimize the expense from a financial aspect.”
Mason said some schools are looking at installing wireless remote control security cameras, which allows them to scale back costs associated with employing security personnel.
Another potential source of income for schools is to allow people to essentially roam on to their wireless networks and access the Internet for fees when they are on school grounds for sporting events or other functions. Such a model would be just one possibility through the new Education First Network, a coast-to-coast inter-campus Wi-Fi initiative that aims to allow students and faculty to access wireless networks at other EFN member campuses using a single login.
“Anytime you tell a school they have the opportunity to use some aspect of their existing infrastructure to make money, it is of significant interest to them,” said Olivia Hecht, director of marketing at AirPath Wireless, which will provide its InterRoam authentication platform for the EFN initiative.
Yet another way schools can create a revenue stream from their wireless networks is by cultivating marketing partnerships with local businesses. IPcelerate Inc.’s MyNORA desktop/laptop dashboard product, for example, can be configured to include links to local pizza parlors and other restaurants and allow students to order food from their computers. The MyNORA product also can provide voice and video calling and conference calls, among other functions.
IPcelerate also has developed creative applications for K-12 schools, including a panic button that sends wireless voice or text messages in emergency situations and a customer-requested application that can detect when students are smoking in school restrooms and alert officials via a silent notification.
