Nebula’s Multi-site Management Means Less Waiting, More Learning at English Teaching Academies

Zyxel_May

Inspiration Trust

“Once we were introduced to Zyxel and their cloud platform Nebula, we tested it and implemented it in one of our schools and it worked really well. The implementation went smoothly and we now have the ability to sit in our central office to manage the schools’ network. This was really beneficial, especially when COVID hit. We were able to maintain and make changes to the network, which meant we were keeping the team and people in the school safe.”

Darren Harris
Head of IT, Inspiration Trust

Summary
Inspiration Trust was looking for a new network solution that could connect all of its 14 schools and be managed from a single point. Previously, schools had their own IT teams and staff made in-person trips to resolve network issues.

Ensuring that each school maintained its own network was a drag on the trust’s time and budget. Besides the need for centralized management, the onset of social distancing and related restrictions during the network overhaul also made the decision to turn to the cloud. Additionally, the slow speeds of its outdated and inefficient equipment couldn’t support modern teaching methods. They needed to replace existing equipment as well at an affordable price. Seeking central visibility and management of all the networks, the trust and system integrator XMA first tested Zyxel’s Nebula solution in one school. 

The results spoke for themselves, displaying strong WiFi performance along with streamlined remote management. With Nebula-compatible APs and switches delivering high transmission speeds at every school, the trust’s network looks starkly different. Now, every site is managed via the same cloud platform, eliminating the need for in-person visits. The schools have better network management experiences, and can find and solve problems more quickly to minimize impacts on school operations. Moreover, the network is highly reliable, there is faster access to online resources, and logging in – which previously took at least 20 minutes – has vastly improved, now taking only 30 seconds and leaving more time for teaching. 

Challenges

• Upgrade inefficient network infrastructure to support next-generation education 
• Centrally manage the separate network at each school and reduce site visits for network maintenance

Benefits

• Efficient, responsive network management allows issues to be detected and fixed before the school is affected 
• Easy multi-site management with high visibility from a single cloud platform eliminates the need for on-site visits 
• Optimized WiFi experience gives students and teachers quicker access to resources and increased teaching time

Product used
XS3800-28 L3 Aggregation Switch
XGS1930 Series Smart Managed Switch
WAC6303D-S 802.11ac Access Point

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