News
Wolf Creek Public Schools enhances mobile learning program with security technology from InfoExpress and Alcatel-Lucent
August 2009 by Marc Jacob
To improve network security and integrity for users on its wired and wireless network, Wolf Creek Public Schools in Alberta, Canada has selected a combined integrated security solution from InfoExpress and Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext: Paris and NYSE: ALU). The new security capabilities will protect the public school division’s distributed network and help its more than 30 schools provide staff and students with secure access to instructional tools and resources.
The security solution from InfoExpress and Alcatel-Lucent will help Wolf Creek Public Schools, which serve some 7,000 students in grades kindergarten thru 12, expand a successful division-wide mobile computing project. This program, which started by providing laptops to more than 100 junior high students and their teachers for use at school and at home, will be expanded to allow students, faculty and staff throughout the division access to the school’s network via their own mobile devices. Once deployed, the solution will require devices to authenticate and pass compliance requirements in order to gain access to the network. The system will remediate non-compliant endpoints and alert network administrators when users attempt to run unapproved software.
“Wolf Creek Public Schools has been providing laptops to enhance instruction as part of our one-to-one mobile computing program sponsored by Alberta Education,” said Wolf Creek Assistant Superintendent Gary Spence. “We wanted to expand the program, but it was just not financially possible to provide every student with a laptop. The solution: have students bring their own devices. However, allowing students and staff to access the network using their own devices required a more robust security and integrity solution, one that would authenticate and pre-qualify laptops as they came on the network. InfoExpress CyberGatekeeper can detect, quarantine, and remediate unhealthy laptops that are not in compliance with our security protocols.”
Wolf Creek purchased the CyberGatekeeper network access control and host integrity check solution from Alcatel-Lucent partner SSP Converged Solutions, which also is providing management and maintenance support.
“Wolf Creek already relies on Alcatel-Lucent for all voice, data, and wireless needs. Adding CyberGatekeeper’s ability to integrate easily into an Alcatel-Lucent environment was an important factor in the division’s decision to go with the combined InfoExpress Alcatel-Lucent offer,” said Reg Rezunyk, Strategic Alliance Manager, SSP Converged Solutions.
The solution is the result of work to ensure the close integration between the InfoExpress CyberGatekeeper and the Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch™ 6400 and OmniSwitch 6850 families of LAN and edge switches using the Alcatel-Lucent Operating System™ 6.3.4 or above.
About Wolf Creek Public Schools:
Wolf Creek Public Schools exists to ensure that each student is a successful learner for a lifetime. Therefore, each member of our organization is committed to developing the skills to create learning environments that are respectful of individual needs, nurturing in focus, and centered on exemplary educational practices.
