Education Innovator Gets Smart Technology in Their Next-Generation Solution

SAN JOSE, Calif. - July 21, 2015 - Allied Telesis, a universally recognized Innovator of Smart Technologies for an information-driven world, today announced that it has successfully partnered with the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) in New Zealand to create a new IT network that is robust, scalable and easy to manage.

SIT is a higher education institution, with multiple campuses throughout the South Island of New Zealand. Approximately 13,000 students in New Zealand and around the globe use SIT's facilities, with many of them studying online via "SIT2LRN", SIT's distance learning service.

In 2012, SIT began the process of upgrading their network infrastructure to create a strong and scalable solution that would fulfill all their network requirements, both now and into the future. SIT needed a world-class vendor, with proven technology, to help them move to a future-proof, next-generation solution.

SIT had already enjoyed several years' worth of high-performance online connectivity with two different generations of Allied Telesis equipment. Starting with a network based on the SwitchBlade 4000 Series core chassis switches, SIT later upgraded Their network to use the extremely successful SwitchBlade® x908 modular chassis core switch. For their latest upgrade, and against competing rivals, SIT again chose an Allied Telesis solution.

Allied Telesis, in partnership with Spark Digital, have deployed a high-performing and widespread IT network at SIT. The new network is based on the SwitchBlade x8100 Series next-generation core chassis switches, which feature the powerful Autonomous Management Framework™ (AMF).

AMF is an exclusive Allied Telesis technology that enables organizations to reduce operational expenditures and helps IT administrators reduce their daily workloads. By automating and simplifying many common management tasks such as configuration backup, device replacement, modifying configurations, upgrading firmware, or extending the network, AMF provides IT administrators with a unified management interface and zero-touch device installation and recovery, which saves substantial time and money -a major advantage where large numbers of access switches are deployed.

SIT are now benefitting from numerous network performance upgrades. They maintain a large and complex network that connects all campuses, but thanks to the power of AMF, SIT now enjoy simplified and automated network management. Change management in particular is much improved—AMF automates change across the whole network, so that a task which would have previously taken hours can now be completed in ten minutes. Not only is the new network faster, it is also more accurate. AMF eliminates the risk of errors and inconsistencies when making changes across the network. These valuable features mean that AMF saves SIT considerable time and money.

SIT's cost-effective new network is flexible, scalable, and, like its previous iterations, comes with great service and support.

"In education, our students and staff expect a fast, modern, and reliable network. The upgrade has met these requirements and provided SIT with a solid platform. Allied Telesis has been excellent to work with and their gear has lived up to expectations," stated Patsy Eade, Human Resources Manager at SIT. Stephen Wilcox, Lead Technical Consultant with Spark Digital, said about working with Allied Telesis on this project, "I've worked with Allied Telesis coming up to 20 years now, with their solutions being a great fit for education providers. They stack up very well against the competition, are high-value, and offer comprehensive solutions with industry-leading features."

"We're delighted that SIT has once again selected an Allied Telesis solution for its campus network," said Paul Batchelor, Country Manager for Allied Telesis. "Their past experience of our service and support ensured we were their preferred vendor, but they wanted something extra this time. AMF fits the bill perfectly and is already delivering significant gains across the entire network."