PIONEERING DIGITAL LEARNING IN EGYPT - Support mission to be a hub for worldclass education in Egypt through the use of cutting-edge digital ...
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C A S E S T U DY
EGYPT
HIGHER
EDUCATION
PIONEERING DIGITAL LEARNING IN EGYPT
Support mission to be a hub for world-
class education in Egypt through the
use of cutting-edge digital learning
tools, delivered in a convenient, secure
and reliable manner.
CASE STUDY
THE KNOWLEDGE HUB UNIVERSITIES
With the objective of offering world-class higher education,
centered around the principles of innovation, inclusivity REQUIREMENTS
and accessibility, the Knowledge Hub Universities (TKH) • Reliable, scalable, and high-performance campus-
established the first campus of the TKH Universities in wide wired and wireless network
New Cairo. • Convenient and secure connectivity for guest and
student owned devices
“Our flagship initiative has been to set up a multidisci-
plinary educational hub, hosting branches of leading • Centralised management with proactive issue
mitigation capabilities
international universities, delivering the same academic
programmes offered at their mother campuses, thus lead- SOLUTION
ing to the same, exact qualifications and degrees. Provid- • Aruba Indoor & Outdoor APs
ing students with the same quality of experience is pivotal, • Aruba 8400 Campus Core Switches
and technology is a fundamental enabler of these world-
• Aruba 5400R Series Campus Distribution Switches
class experiences,” explained Hossam Ismail, IT Network
• Aruba 2930F Campus Access Switches
Lead - The Knowledge Hub Universities – Egypt.
• ClearPass for NAC
CLEAR LONG-TERM VISION • AirWave Network Management
Recognising that mobility and pervasive connectivity
OUTCOMES
would be essential to implementing the innovations they
• Enables on-time implementation despite
intended to roll out at the University, TKH’s IT team se-
COVID-19 related logistics challenges
lected Aruba as their networking technology partner. “We
• Delivers rapid ROI on first phase with seamless,
needed exceptional wireless coverage across the entire
cost-effective scalability for two additional phases
campus,” said Ismail. “To protect the digital identities and
• Offers convenient ‘Guest Portal’ for rapid, secure
activities of our students and staff, security was also a key
and controlled internet access
requirement and Aruba was a clear industry leader in both
• Eliminates network performance issues or
these areas.”
negative feedback from staff or students
Moreover, having used networking solutions from one of • Enables utilisation of the latest digital learning
the largest international vendors at factories it owned, tools, and connected campus security systems
the El Sewedy Group, of which TKH is a subsidiary, was • Delights users with seamless roaming across the
aware of the risks of vendor lock-in arising from inflexible campus and single SSID
proprietary solution architectures. “We will be introducing • Enables seamless centralised management of
several internationally acclaimed educational institutions wireless and wired networks across the entire
to the region and need to ensure our environment is flexi- campus
ble, scalable and built on open standards. Aruba ticked all
these boxes,” Ismail explained.
ESTABLISHING A ROCK-SOLID FOUNDATION
Starting with the first phase of TKH, consisting of different
buildings with more than 60 classrooms, 20 lecture halls
& workshops and 250 staff offices as well as recreational
facilities and common areas, Ismail and his IT team worked
closely with Aruba to implement Layer 3 switching and
wireless Access Points (APs). “We selected Wi-Fi 6 capable
solutions because as a University, we are constantly intro-
ducing the very latest innovations to ensure our students
CASE STUDY
THE KNOWLEDGE HUB UNIVERSITIES
From implementation through to staff to have seamless, uninterrupted access to these es-
sential learning tools. Moreover, through orchestrated and
daily operation, we have never automated user and devices authentication via ClearPass,
faced even a single issue with they can use these applications on their own personal
devices which greatly aids adoption and utilisation,” said
our Aruba network. This kind of Ismail.
performance and reliability is rare
Also using ClearPass, his team has set up a ‘Guest Portal’
with technology deployments. that conveniently authenticates staff and students based
on the same credentials registered in the University’s
HOSSAM ISMAIL
Active Directory. Moreover, Aruba’s solution ensures
IT Network Lead, Information Technology at The Knowledge Hub
Universities compliance by automatically conducting a health check
on all devices trying to connect to the network. “If any vul-
nerabilities are detected, the system automatically takes
have rapid access to the cutting-edge digital technologies,”
remediation steps such as performing operating system
said Ismail.
and software updates. This ensures that every device that
To deliver secure access for professors and admin staff connects to our network is authenticated and secure,” said
while providing convenient wireless connectivity for vis- Ismail.
itors and guests, and to facilitate bring your own device
Rapid return on investment
(BYOD) for students in a controlled and uncompromisingly
Ismail estimated that the flexibility and scalability of Aru-
secure manner, the University implemented Aruba Clear-
ba’s solution will enable his team to realise a rapid ROI and
Pass.
continued operational efficiencies and savings. Offering an
Ismail and his team also decided to leverage Airwave Net- example, he said, “In the first phase, we used Aruba 5400R
work Management to centrally monitor and manage the series switches in our campus core and Aruba 2930F se-
entire network so that the quality and integrity of services ries switches in our campus access layer. As we expand for
could be maintained at consistently high levels. the next phase, we will replace the core with Aruba 8400
Campus Core switches. But we will still be able to use our
ARUBA DELIVER A HOST OF BENEFITS existing 5400R series switches in our Distribution Layer.”
For Ismail and his team, the decision to partner with Aruba
This next phase of the project, which is currently under-
has paid dividends on multiple fronts – with world-class
way, involves scaling the Aruba wired and wireless network
solution design and logistics support, the flexibility to re-
to two additional buildings. Commenting on how the tech-
purpose investments, and a rapid realisation of ROI on the
nical capabilities of Aruba’s solutions have been perfectly
first phase, being highlights of the engagement.
complimented by their competitive pricing, Ismail said, “We
Navigating lockdown logistics were impressed that Aruba could deliver market-leading
Despite the impact of COVID-19 and logistical challenges,
the implementation was completed within just 8-10 weeks.
An expertly crafted design, based on a detailed wireless
heatmap, ensured the coverage of each Access Point was
maximised while the high density PoE+ capability of the
Aruba switches enabled these APs to be easily installed
without the added complexity of power cabling. Other
network connected devices such as security cameras and
IP telephones have been similarly implemented with ease.
Supporting the latest eLearning tools and devices
To deliver its digitally oriented curriculum, TKH makes use
of several digital tools including a Learning Management
System (LMS). “The Aruba solution allows students and
CASE STUDY
THE KNOWLEDGE HUB UNIVERSITIES
solutions while offering us especially attractive pricing
owing to us operating in the education sector.”
MORE INNOVATION ON THE HORIZON
Based on the ‘exceptional’ experience that the University
has had with Aruba – both from a technical as well as a
support perspective – Ismail and his team are keen to
deepen their engagement. “From implementation through
to daily operation, we have never faced even a single issue
with our Aruba network. This kind of performance and
reliability is rare with technology deployments,” he said.
TKH is already in discussion with Aruba to extend the
network for the upcoming phase of the project which will
involve expansion into a further five buildings. “Our stu-
dents and staff are incredibly happy with the performance
and convenience of our network and associated digital
services. This gives us the confidence to keep introducing
Aruba solutions and new innovations that set our Universi-
ty apart as a pioneer,” concluded Ismail.
© Copyright 2021 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP. The information contained herein is subject to change without
notice. The only warranties for Hewlett Packard Enterprise products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements
accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. Hewlett
Packard Enterprise shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
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