University of Reading reimagines its campus network to support student engagement and success

University of Reading was migrating to an AI-driven network to deliver better digital experiences for students, faculty, and staff when the pandemic hit. Its Juniper network, driven by Mist AI, provided a flexible foundation to allow a quick pivot to remote instruction.

“We needed to enable new digital ways of working due to the pandemic,” says Stuart Brown, director of digital technologies at University of Reading. “We achieved in 12 months what I could only have dreamed of achieving in five years. We went from full campus delivery of instruction to fully online in six weeks.”

“We considered Juniper Networks AI-Driven Enterprise solution to be the right cloud-based technology to help the University of Reading meet their digital transformation ambitions,” says Andy Butcher, Business Unit General Manager, Axians Public Sector. “Given Axians’ in-depth knowledge of the University of Reading infrastructure and strategic priorities, we were able to create an agile architecture and associated services solution to support the university’s future strategy.”

At University of Reading, the network is more than great connectivity: It’s the foundation of innovative new services and experiences for students, faculty, and staff.

Imagine this: A staff member arrives at a campus car park entrance. She’s recognized, the gate opens, and she’s directed to a parking space. When a student stops at the café on the way to class, the café’s mobile app greets her, offers “the usual,” and perhaps even a discount. Location services show her the fastest way to class.

The network can also provide insights into student success. Integrating location data with the university’s attendance management system, for instance, may reveal whether a student regularly attends class. With insights like this, along with other indicators of educational success, the university can take action to help students stay on track.

As one of the world’s premier research universities, University of Reading has a broad community. The university is focused on key areas that will attract students, provide a strong education, and help them qualify for good jobs, including technology, film and television, and digital health.