University of New Hampshire Pioneering Wi-Fi in Collegiate Arenas with Enterasys

SALEM, N.H., Oct. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Demand for high-speed, reliable and secure Wi-Fi has tremendously increased at colleges and universities and it's no longer only for residence halls and academic buildings. To provide guests attending sporting games, concerts and other events at the University of New Hampshire's (UNH) Whittemore Center a more immersive experience, the institution, in partnership with Enterasys Networks, has expanded its wireless network to include the multi-purpose arena. The Whittemore Center is one of the first collegiate arenas to provide 100 percent Wi-Fi access to guests, enabling up to 7,500 concurrent users to use social networks, upload photos and videos and access real-time information when they want.

Key Facts

• This year over a quarter of a million guests will be given 100 percent Wi-Fi access during UNH sporting and community events, family shows, tradeshows and concerts.
• UNH kicked off its home hockey schedule with two games against the University of Michigan this past weekend, where fans were assisted onsite by Wi-Fi Coaches who helped guests with any Wi-Fi related questions.
• In addition to the Whittemore Center, UNH also employs Enterasys IdentiFi Wi-Fi in its residence halls, academic buildings and outdoor areas.
• Future plans include an expanded UNH mobile app that provides an even more digitally enhanced experience with access to live updates, videos and more.
• UNH utilizes Enterasys' IdentiFi Wi-Fi, NetSight management, S-Series switches and B-Series stackable switches. This easy-to-manage and secure technology provides centralized visibility and granular control of the enterprise network resources end to end.

Executive Perspectives
Joanna Young, CIO, University of New Hampshire
"The decision to expand wireless access to the Whittemore Center was easy, and it speaks to the joint mission of UNH and Enterasys to deliver fast and secure Wi-Fi for students, faculty, staff and guests across the entire campus. Our goal was to provide a network that not only lends itself to the immersive experience that's become so important to fans and guests, but to also provide peace of mind that information shared across the network is safe and secure. Enterasys was able to deliver on both of these criteria and it demonstrates the company's deep understanding of our needs."

Marty Scarano, Director of Athletics, University of New Hampshire
"We understand that watching an athletic contest or attending a concert in-person has changed significantly with the introduction of social media. Having access to fast, reliable Wi-Fi enables us to provide guests and fans with the full game or concert experience they have come to expect, something not all institutions can say. Our work with Enterasys is immensely important and we look forward to finding new ways to serve our community."

John Brams, Director of Venues and Hospitality, Enterasys Networks
"It's no surprise that UNH is one of the first collegiate organizations to provide 100 percent Wi-Fi access to guests at an arena. They truly recognize the value of a digitally immersive experience for fans and other colleges and universities should look to them as a model for this type of technology deployment."

Additional Resources

• Initial UNH Whittemore Center Deployment Announcement
• Enterasys Higher Education Solutions
• Enterasys Hospitality Solutions
• Video Testimonial with Joanna Young, CIO, UNH
• Enterasys Social Media Newsroom
• Connect with Enterasys via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Google+

About Enterasys Networks
Enterasys Networks is one of the fastest growing companies in the networking industry, providing patented and differentiated wired and wireless network infrastructure, as well as security and management solutions. Enterasys OneFabric is the industry's first fabric-based networking solution to extend visibility and control from virtual servers to mobile devices for cloud computing, software-defined networking, and data center environments.  OneFabric enables our customers to provision the network from the data center to the mobile edge with consistent performance to deliver a positive end user experience through enhanced application analytics, all managed from a single pane of glass.  With over 20,000 customers and sales in over 90 countries, Enterasys addresses the complexities of today's mega-trends around Mobile, Social, Cloud and Big Data, serving customers across major verticals including education (K-12 and higher education), healthcare, government, manufacturing and hospitality. For more information about Enterasys please visit www.enterasys.com.

About the University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students. UNH has campuses in Durham,  Manchester, and UNH School of Law in Concord, as well as extension offices throughout the state. For more information, visit www.unh.edu.

Media Contacts:

Jason King
Enterasys Networks
+1 603 952 5151
[email protected]

Jennifer Grabowski
Racepoint Group
+1 617 624 3231
[email protected]

SOURCE Enterasys Networks