Noorderpoort is the first MBO in the Netherlands to use Wi-Fi 7 for Digital Education

Be it Business Administration, Electrical Engineering, Cultural Management or Education, Noorderpoort's student programs (Middelbaar Beroepsonderwijs, MBO) are highly diverse and comprehensive. Preparing around 13,000 students annually for mid-level positions in administration, industry, and the service sector, the organization strives to provide students with both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed for their future careers. Additionally, the well-respected institution places great emphasis on practical learning and close collaboration with companies to ensure the training meets the current demands of a changing job market.

Required: Access to Fast Internet

As digital education becomes an essential part of modern society and economy, educational institutions are increasingly reliant on digital devices such as connected whiteboards or tablets to make teaching more effective and flexible. Additionally, the demand for online learning formats and remote access to educational materials is rising. For digitalization in education to succeed, a stable, reliable network is crucial, ensuring immediate access to educational content and optimal learning experiences for all.

Noorderpoort's previous network solution gradually proved more and more unreliable, resulting in an unsatisfactory user experience for students, teachers, staff, and campus visitors. Noorderpoort's management was also concerned by reports that a competitor had to restrict its teaching sessions due to network outages. It was therefore for the responsible parties to define three main goals for improving the network infrastructure:

• Stable, high-density Wi-Fi performance: Ensuring seamless connectivity during peak times.

• Multi-vendor network integration: Creating a coherent and efficient network ecosystem.

• Reliable support: Access to timely and expert support to quickly resolve any issues that arise.

Additionally, the institution faced further challenges. These included maintaining network performance and ensuring a well-managed, high-performing network during peak times without requiring constant interventions. Equally important was unified network management with a single, streamlined management tool for greater efficiency.

Noorderpoort sought a solution that would enable stable Wi-Fi performance and seamless connectivity.

The Solution: Wi-Fi 7 Proves to Be the Best Choice

Because of a previous positive experience, Noorderpoort approached Huawei for a solution, prompting Huawei to involve Lumiad, their Wi-Fi specialist partner. Lumiad and Huawei, together with Noorderpoort, examined the current problems in the network, conducting a thorough analysis of the infrastructure and eliminated potential errors, inadequate configurations, and insufficient specifications. It quickly became clear that the Wi-Fi controllers were undersized for the required capacity. The advanced Wi-Fi 7 solution from Huawei proved to be the best option, outperforming the products of two competitors.

In close collaboration with Huawei's solution team, Lumiad implemented the Wi-Fi 7 Access Points (APs) AirEngine 6776.57T and the Access Controller AirEngine 9700-M1 WAC. The educational specialist now independently manages the network using Huawei iMaster NCE-Campus Service.

More Time for Digital Transformation and Future Growth

Noorderpoort is the first MBO in the Netherlands to fully utilize Wi-Fi 7 in educational operations. Thanks to Huawei's highly available, high-performance network solution, Noorderpoort was able to overcome all challenges and achieve its IT goals. The educational institution significantly improved network reliability, which promotes digital interaction between students and teachers. Additionally, digital apps and services can be seamlessly provided to users at any time, greatly increasing overall user satisfaction.

Other benefits: For Noorderpoort's IT team, network problems are now a thing of the past. “Our solutions and engineering teams worked closely with the customer to identify and resolve the underlying issues that were preventing optimal network performance” said a product manager at Lumiad. “Huawei's service is arguably the best they have ever received, especially when it was needed the most”.

Thanks to the newly installed solutions, the IT team at Noorderpoort have no longer sleepless nights dealing with network instabilities but can focus on other important tasks that require their attention. For example, the plan for the future is to further optimize and standardize the LAN and WLAN infrastructure in order to drive forward the digital transformation and create a secure foundation for future growth.

About Noorderpoort

The educational institution specializes in student programs (Middelbaar Beroepsonderwijs, MBO) that prepare secondary school students for mid-level positions in administration, industry, or the service sector. At more than 20 locations in the Netherlands, Noorderpoort serves around 13,000 students annually. The institution is known for its innovative approaches in the education sector and offers a comprehensive course program to equip students with the skills and knowledge for their professional future. The educational offerings are continuously adapted to the changing demands of the job market.