Crescent & Norwood Schools select a cost-effective end-to-end HP IT infrastructure to improve the learning experience for pupils and staff.
“This complete HP solution has transformed our educational environment and improved productivity, giving pupils and teachers alike the freedom to work seamlessly from class to class while making lessons more engaging and interactive.”
Brian Juke, Networks Manager, Crescent and Norwood Primary Schools
Customer Profile
Norwood and Crescent Primary Schools were faced with an ageing IT network that suffered regular outages as well as dated laptops that were slow to boot up and ran out of battery life quickly. The schools wanted to refresh the entire IT infrastructure and turned to educational technology specialist Medhurst, who recommended a new environment based around HP ElitePads, laptops, servers and network components.
Business Needs
We had created an ad hoc WiFi network made up of lots of different brands of access point which simply couldn’t cope with the volume of traffic while the old server was struggling to manage the network effectively,” explains Brian Jukes, ICT manager, Crescent Primary School. “Furthermore, our existing laptops had reached end of life, took an age to boot up and regularly crashed. It was time for a fresh approach to our IT environment.” The schools approached four local companies for advice on how best to build a new infrastructure. The one with the proposal best suited to the schools’ needs was Medhurst, an HP Gold Partner and IT Education specialist that has successfully equipped over 100 schools with HP solutions. “Medhurst understood what we wanted to achieve and demonstrated it could provide the necessary experience and support,” adds Jukes. “Using HP technology for laptops, tablets, network switches, access points and servers made it a consistent, coherent and cost-effective choice.”
Solution
Medhurst proposed a cost-effective package consisting of 150 laptops, two HP ProLiant ML350 Gen8 servers and an HP Networking solution based on eight fully-managed HP switches. In addition, dual HP MSM720 Access Controllers and 26 HP MSM460 Dual Radio 802.11n Wireless Access Points provide flexible, seamless access to applications and services throughout both sites. The most innovative aspect of the overall solution however was the inclusion of 60 HP ElitePads. “Medhurst brought us a complete solution with components that integrated together perfectly but we really wanted to extend the mobility of the technology,” says Jukes. “The ElitePads are the perfect way to equip teachers and pupils with a truly mobile device that can bring learning to life.” The new equipment was installed during the Easter holidays after which, pupils and teachers began to explore the new opportunities on offer. After years of failing hardware and unreliable WiFi, the new infrastructure reinvigorated interest in technology.
Results
Teachers and pupils can now boot up and log in near instantly, while the seamless wireless network allows them to travel between classes without losing connectivity. This increases productivity and makes the learning experience more interactive. Using Medhurst’s web-based Dashboard cloud solution, staff can also send resources to any device including tablets and smartphones, enabling staff and students to access school programmes securely from anywhere at any time. Teachers can also connect their HP ElitePad 900 Tablets to interactive whiteboards, making for a more collaborative learning environment.
“Anyone can now connect to the whiteboards and share their screen with the class, which really makes the lessons fun and engaging. The laptops and tablets need only one charge to keep them going all day and they never crash so there is no frustration,” comments Jukes. “The ElitePads in particular are proving popular with special needs pupils who tend to react better to interactive stimulus so it is helping provide an inclusive experience for all.”
“We wanted to replace our existing IT infrastructure with a more reliable, cost effective solution. The expertise of HP and Medhurst in the education sector has enabled us to achieve this within budget. The new HP environment gives staff more time and resources to support pupils by making lessons more interactive and simplifying administration.”
Brian Juke, Networks Manager, Crescent and Norwood Primary Schools
- Date 24 June 2015
- Tags Education, HPE