The Catholic University of America (Catholic University) is a national research university with 5,700 students studying in more than 250 academic programs on a residential campus located in the heart of Washington, D.C. The Catholic University strategic plan charged the Technology Services team with exploring ways to improve communication and information exchange between administrative offices, academic programs, faculty, and students. The plan’s objective was to utilize existing technology to streamline business processes and optimize the Catholic University infrastructure. It also recognized the value of developing strategic alliances with distinctive partners to implement the plan’s objectives. Networking For Future (NFF) was identified as best positioned to assist Catholic University with modernizing its telephone system and to strengthen the security posture of its network.
Challenges
Due to project delivery constraints, Catholic University needed a Cisco services team with outstanding technical support to:
- Assess and improve the performance of their virtual Identity Services Engine (ISE) environment
- Upgrade network hardware to meet stringent security needs
- Modify network configurations and automate the failover for their Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) deployment
Solutions
Network and Unified Communications Catholic University worked with NFF to audit the existing campus network to verify its suitability for use with a VoIP-enabled Unified Communications (UC) application. Network configurations were modified and automated failover connectivity was implemented to ensure continuous service. Security Enhancements NFF worked with Catholic University to modernize its campus network to better serve as a secure foundation for achieving the objectives of the university’s strategic plan. Work included:
- Optimizing the Cisco ISE infrastructure to enhance network access control and overall security
- Installing the latest wireless service controllers and Cisco Nexus data center switches to improve performance
- Implementing the latest firewall appliances to better protect the campus network environment
Results
New equipment and improved network and firewall designs provided students, faculty, and staff with a more robust, reliable, and secure user experience. The VoIP UC application delivered new levels of telecommunication reliability and service quality. Overall system performance increased through optimization of the campus network infrastructure and applications, such as ISE.
“Networking For Future has superior technical talent and project managers that are committed to ensuring their projects are successful. In all capacities, Networking For Future exceeded our expectations and delivered on time and under budget, so I would highly recommend them for any networking support efforts you may need.” John Bragg Senior Network Engineer The Catholic University of America
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The Catholic University of America NFF Services Case Study
About Networking For Future Inc.
Networking For Future Inc. (NFF) is a Washington, DC-based company offering a performance-focused approach to delivering transformational IT business solutions. We take pride in keeping users productive and engaged by providing business and IT teams with the solutions they need to improve their performance in a dynamic, connected world.
We are ISO 9001:2015 certified, a Cisco Gold Partner, a Riverbed Premier Partner, a NetApp Gold Partner, and hold Maryland Education Enterprise Consortium (MEEC), Cisco Virginia Association of State College and University Purchasing Professionals (VASCUPP), Fairfax County Public Schools, GSA Schedule 47QTCA21D0047, and numerous other contract vehicles. For more information contact NFF at sales@nffinc.com.
