You wouldn’t dare shout “ROLL TIDE” while sitting in the student section of an Auburn football game, right?
Even though university campuses have similar qualities, individually they are very different and have their own culture, personality, and tradition. We’re continuing our “Campus Week” theme by diving into some of the specific needs of University clients. Campuses and telecommunications companies have some very different needs when it comes to their ISP/OSP. We’ve been in the campus market long enough to know a few of these nuances. Here’s what we’ve found from talking to our campus clients:
1. Campuses need to visualize OSP pathways and easily view data records from the map for all OSP elements in a GPS accurate format. The more visible and accessible a campus’ records are, the faster outages and other issues can be detected and fixed.
2. Campuses want to be able to click a button and “Show Affected” information in times of outage for improved trouble response. Just like with any outage, time is of the essence and it’s important that campuses be able to instantly see what areas of their plant are affected and an estimated time for getting things back up and running.
3. They want to consolidate information on to one central platform. This is a quality that universities and telcos have in common—the desire to consolidate information and centralize it in one spot. Nobody wants to go from department to department in order to find what they need, losing time and tying up resources in the process. Breaking down departmental silos means that everyone has access to the information they need—and nobody has to miss a minute of the football game!
4. Integrations are key. When universities are evaluating a new ISP/OSP management system, they want to know that things will get easier, not harder. They often seek out systems that integrate with their existing investments so there’s minimal hassle and disruption.
5. They want accurate workflows and documentation. What is the point of documenting your network if the records aren’t accurate? University networks depend on accurate documentation and having the information they need in case of an outage or natural disaster.
While each and every campus environment is different, they are united by a few common needs when it comes to their OSP/ISP. If you’d like to talk about how your campus needs are being addressed, you can always email us at sales@mapcom.com. We promise to be football-agnostic, working with fans of the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big Twelve, PAC 12, and everyone in between!