Handling campus wireless challenges

The increased use of mobile technology in the educational realm is easy to understand. Not only are more students and teachers using these devices outside of the classrooms, but mobile applications and digital textbooks have opened up new ways to learn and consume information.

However, before these devices can be used in the classroom, school officials need to ensure that their wireless solutions are not only up to the challenge but secure. A recent white paper from Computer World examined some of the challenges that school IT administrators are facing.

According to the report, there are several factors that need to be considered. Those include: a complex and antiquated network infrastructure, supporting both wired and wireless devices simultaneously, remote access and the fluctuation and unpredictability in the number of users from year to year.

A survey conducted to coincide with the report found that 75 percent of respondents cited scalability as a critical component.

The need for improved wireless networking and cabling solutions may be coming sooner than expected. According to the recently released IDC 2013 IT forecast, educational institutions are going to see a boom in mobile device adoption.

"Look for a viral expansion of tablet pilots in school systems in 2013, accelerated by the explosion in online learning resources (such as massive open online courses) and the decline of the paper-based textbook publishing industry," the IDC report said.

The sheer amount of media that can be consumed through mobile devices makes them bandwidth-intensive gadgets. Without proper wireless networking and cabling, a school can find itself in trouble when a building full of kids tries to connect at the same time.