A preferred supplier to Oxford University, Qolcom worked with Merton to install a Network that "moves the College forward and into the future".

With over 15 years of experience in managed services, Qolcom has helped numerous universities and colleges to evolve the onsite and remote learning experience. Armed with industry-leading equipment, we draw on our expertise to simplify and automate network management and provide 24/7 network availability to higher education institutions.

Keen to build on 760 years of success and stay at the forefront of higher education, Merton College turned to Qolcom when they needed to revitalise their Network.

Though the network at Merton College was serving its purpose, the underpinning infrastructure was starting to limit what was possible. In order to meet the expanding needs of online learners, the new Head of IT at Merton, Steve Bowdery, sought network solutions to spearhead change.

"The College is part of a global community that operates 24/7. Staff and students are involved in international collaborations that they need to be able to dive into at short notice from whatever device is at hand. We needed to upgrade our network so it can connect these people seamlessly and securely while handling huge volumes of data without delay," said Merton's Head of IT.

Qolcom rose to the challenge of modernising Merton's network to a world-class standard, selecting the Aruba OS-CX switching platform as the foundation for a future-proof network.

OS-CX allows IT teams to deploy a single switch operating system from edge to core. These intelligent switches reduce network complexity, speed up response times and simplify troubleshooting, resulting in 24/7 network availability. Learners can now leverage high-performance video, voice, and cloud applications, even during software upgrades.

Industry-leading services from Qolcom and Aruba have enabled Merton College to deliver next-generation experiences to its student population, staff, and worldwide community.

"This project was about more than updating hardware — by giving our infrastructure a new lease of life, we've moved the College forward and into the future," concludes Merton's Head of IT.