Enterprise Communications Solutions for Education

Communications and networks have become mission-critical for educational institutions. As a result, educational institutions worldwide are leveraging the latest enterprise voice and data communications technology, enabling schools and universities to construct collaborative projects, offer broader access to critical research on intranets and the Internet, and allow students instantaneous access to school information, such as class schedules. Alcatel’s solutions for education offer students, teachers and administrators full mobility and advanced voice services, while keeping administration simple and reducing costs.

At Alcatel, we understand the communications and networking needs of educational institutions. Indeed, we've built voice and data networks for educational organizations of every type, from multi-site school districts to colleges and universities.

Alcatel's solutions for education are based on the company's award-winning IP networking and IP telephony products, which provide a powerful infrastructure that operates continuously and securely.

KEY ISSUES FOR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Security

- Educational institutions must provide an intellectually open environment with broad network access while protecting and securing the network from attacks and misbehavior of an increasingly computer-literate student population.

- Student records and identities must be protected, in compliance with government legislation, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in the US. Likewise, many schools must prepare for new rules for reporting on the status and activity of foreign students attending their institutions.


Availability

- Educational resources, while scarce, must support students, faculty, and administrators across large campuses and multiple sites, providing "always on" connectivity to a high-speed network. A network capable of continuous operation is one that has easily managed, self-healing components

Mobility

- Both wired and wireless mobility are crucial for educational networks. Students, faculty, and administrators roam throughout buildings and across the campus. Access to computing resources (such as printers, shared drives, and application servers) - anywhere, at any time - is crucial for delivering quality educational services.

Access to advanced features

- Educational institutions rely on a range of advanced voice applications, such as directory services, voicemail, and conferencing. Broad access to these applications is crucial to meet increasing demands of the educational community .

- In schools, connecting the registration system via LDAP to a dynamic directory service delivers immediate cost savings by eliminating printed directories. This capability also allows colleges and universities to dynamically remove orphaned accounts, which is considered a major challenge in the higher education market.

Risk-free migration

- Many schools have a variety of existing voice and data network. New IP-based systems must offer risk-free migration, while providing support for a mixed-media environment.
- A university might need analog
connections in the dorms, digital
connections in staff offices, soft phone
capabilities for traveling faculty, IP
connections for satellite campuses, and
wireless connections for IT staff.

- A school district with multiple phone
systems connected over a variety of WAN
connections might want to retain its WAN
connections in a hybrid arrangement,
while migrating to the benefits of IP
connectivity.


Cost reduction

- Educational institutions manage very scarce resources, making cost reduction for voice and data networks a real priority. IP telephony and IP networking offer a proven path for cost reduction. Likewise, simplified network manageability offers costs savings without increased staff

ALCATEL'S SOLUTIONS

Alcatel's solutions for education based on the company's award-winning products:

* Alcatel's IP networking solutions are built on the company's next-generation OmniSwitch products.

* Alcatel's IP telephony solutions rely on the company's industry-leading OmniPCX Enterprise, along with the company’s breakthrough IP phones – IP Touch – and its innovative Unified Communications applications for unified messaging and instant conferencing and collaboration.

* Alcatel’s contact center software subsidiary Genesys also delivers educational institutions solutions designed to improve service to the student community. Learn more...

KEY BENEFITS
Alcatel's solutions address the key issues for educational institutions, including security, availability and mobility, while providing access to advanced services and risk-free migration. Key benefits include:

* Cost reduction
* Connectivity for students, faculty and staff
* Access to a local high-speed network
* Hotlines and contact centers