INDUSTRY WATCH
( L to R ) Sohaib AlAbdi , Head of Information Network Division ( IT Centre ), University of Bahrain , Waleed Kanoo , Director , E . K . Kanoo Group , Eng . Attiya , Director of IT Centre , University of Bahrain , Ammar Enaya , Regional Director , HPE-Aruba , Middle East and Africa , Ramgopal Menon , General Manager , Kanoo IT
“ THANKS TO ARUBA ’ S BUILT-IN FIREWALL , WE HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF SECURITY WITHOUT ADDED COMPLEXITY . FURTHERMORE , THE SOLUTION EASILY INTEGRATES WITH OTHER SECURITY DEVICES IN OUR ENVIRONMENT .”
Furthermore , the solution easily integrates with other security devices in our environment ,” said Sohaib . Kanoo IT also guided UOB ’ s IT team to leverage Aruba ’ s controllers to set up separate SSIDs for students , staff and guests . Here too , the in-built firewall facilitates access control by assigning users to the appropriate SSID based on the usage policy .
A clear plan for the future With the first phase of the upgrade successfully completed , 70 % of UOB ’ s campus now enjoys Wi-Fi coverage . “ Our plan is to extend this coverage in phases based on the requirements of the various departments within the campus ,” said Sohaib .
“ With the continued support from Aruba and Kanoo IT , we look forward to expanding our network infrastructure , allowing it to match the growth and usage within the University ,” he added .
Sohaib and his team are keen to explore coverage for outdoor areas and expect that over the next two years , they will install up to 400 outdoor access points . The flexibility offered by Aruba ’ s platform means that such a network expansion can be easily implemented with minimal additional investment .
Partnerships for long-term success “ Back in 2008 , we did extensive research to implement the best Wi-Fi solution on the campus . After nearly eight years , not only have our findings shown that Aruba was the best choice , but it has been instrumental in easing the continued growth in Wi-Fi use within our campus all these years ,” said Sohaib , reflecting on the success his organisation has enjoyed with Aruba .
“ We look forward to having Aruba and Kanoo IT help the University of Bahrain be at the forefront of wireless solutions in the region ,” he concluded .
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