“We’ve learned a lesson around communication,” he says. “No matter how well we thought we were communicating, there was room for improvement. We’ve really involved our local support partners [to help.]”
Tips for a Successful Network Upgrade
Use a proactive approach
Dolisey says colleges will increase their changes of a successful network upgrade by being proactive during the project.
He says colleges should be proactive about everything from monitoring the basic network infrastructure to looking for tools and solutions from vendors to use.
“That’s what we’re trying to do,” Dolisey says. “With every one of our software applications, we’re trying to provide answers to specific problems, and we bundle those solutions into one product. I think we are ideally placed to help solve those problems, but I think in general, a proactive approach to monitoring and management is the right answer.”
Involve partners early
Martin says colleges that are planning on upgrading their network should involve their partners early.
He says involving partners early will reduce stress during the installation, and provide extra sets of hands in case “something doesn’t go as expected.”
“Involve your partners early, often and repetitively,” Martin says. “Don’t promise them that nothing is going to break, help them understand they need to be involved to fix the breaks as they happen. Higher ed networks are way too complex and way too heterogeneous to assume that nothing’s going to fail. The expectation is you’re building the relationships, leveraging the partnerships to minimize the impact from change or any failure.”
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