Walsall College
Walsall College believes in setting people up for success and they
do this by embedding quality into all areas of the college. They are
geared to become a nationally renowned centre for vocational and
technical excellence and they are committed to transforming the
local economy through industry focused skills and knowledge.
With the new Wisemore Campus using cutting edge technology,
teachers and students have an inspirational teaching and learning
environment to develop their ideas, skills and ambitions.
The Challenge
Walsall College were building a new campus and they needed a cabling, voice and
data infrastructure to provide cutting edge facilities to students and teachers.
The college was mindful of the fact that they needed a seamless migration from the
old systems to the new environment. Walsall needed a technology partner who could
provide a fully integrated solution, had a proven track record of doing so and had the
vision to provide the college with the technology solutions to take them into the
future.
The Solution
Amillan was chosen to provide structured cabling, telephony, data and applications
for the new campus. Beginning work in June 2008, Amillan had the advantage of
working on the project right from the beginning and with a clear understanding of all
the infrastructure requirements, from cables, switches, handsets and applications,
Amillan put together a migration plan to move staff and equipment from the old
buildings to the new campus.
Structured cabling
Category 6 cabling was provided throughout the four storey building with 10 communications rooms and 30 cabinets supporting 6,700 outlets with OM3 fibre and copper backbone connectivity linking the main communication rooms to satellite communication rooms.
Telephony
An Alcatel-Lucent OmniPCX Enterprise was implemented to provide IP Telephony for 1,000 users. These users were migrated from an Ericsson MD 110 system. Wireless IP Telephony was also provided and supported by the wireless LAN solution.
Applications
A contact centre solution was deployed to allow the college to handle an increasing number of calls received during registration time, when call processing needs to be very efficient and effective to ensure that all registrations are dealt with.
Data
A HP Procurve data infrastructure was deployed with a resilient core and edge switch network. This included 48 10-gigabit ports, 3840 10/100/1, 000 POEports and a centralised wireless solution for coverage across the campus. A laser connection was provided to link remote buildings while a suite of network management tools provide proactive monitoring and management to ensure the data infrastructure operates at its optimum.
A digital signage solution with 88 LCD screens was provided to push information from the scheduling and information systems around the campus. Each teaching area now has an LCD displaying pertinent and timely information.
The Benefits
Working with Amillan on the project right from the beginning for cabling, voice and data solutions has given Walsall college a greater level of integration across the campus. Technologies have been deployed for best purpose and the following summarises the main benefits that Walsall have achieved.
Single provider
With Amillan as the single provider forcabling, voice and data infrastructure the project was simplified for Walsall at every stage and a seamless migration was provided.
Simplified communications
The level of communications integration at the new campus makes it easier to monitor, manage and report on. The associated cost of managing and maintaining the network is also reduced. Integration Key security systems – IP CCTV, access control and building management systems are integrated into the core infrastructure to provide a safer environment giving greater visibility and an ability to respond quicker.
Mobility
The wireless LAN and wireless telephony provide the highest level of mobility for staff and teachers, improving performance for everyone.
The Future
With an integrated IP infrastructure in place, Walsall College now have the platform on which to deploy new technologies and applications easily and effectively. As the college moves forward as a leader in the provision of further education, new technologies will be embraced to enhance further the teaching and learning experience to help truly achieve the goal of bringing talent to life.