Purdue to deploy campus-wide 802.11n network

Purdue University reported plans to deploy a campus-wide wireless network in collaboration with Cisco Systems Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc.’s Business unit.
The deployment will use more than 6,000 802.11n wireless access points in 256 buildings across the university’s West Lafayette campus. Verizon is handling the deployment, which will use Cisco’s M-Drive technology that the company said “offers greater performance and lower operational costs for pervasive wireless connectivity to support bandwidth-intensive multimedia applications.”
The network will support Purdue’s Hotseat social networking-powered applications designed to create a collaborative classroom; The Signals application that provides real-time academic progress reports; a lecture-capture technology called Echo360 that allows students to access video and audio of lectures on their mobile devices; access to live video feeds throughout the campus, as well as the ability to point their cellphone or mobile devices at landmarks and get additional information about the locations; and support for video replays of live athletic events as part of Purdue’s eStadium initiative.
“With our all-mobile campus strategy, Purdue is redefining ‘everywhere,’ and allowing students, faculty and researchers to collaborate anywhere on campus,” said Gerry McCartney, VP and CIO at Purdue. “Purdue is already known for providing instructional resources for our students electronically and for providing cloud computing resources for the world’s scientists. Now, mobile applications like Signals, HotSeat and eStadium are only the start of what Purdue will develop to help drive student success with timely graduations.”
The network deployment is expected to be completed during the 2010-2011 school year.