VAR Data Integration has won a contract to install a wireless network at Royal Holloway, University of London.

The VAR, which has already successfully installed a Juniper firewall infrastructure at the university, will implement an Aruba thin access point network, which it claims will give the IT department more control from a security standpoint, but reduce overall management requirements.

Data Integration is also providing maintenance and support for 220 access points as well as the initial installation, configuration and knowledge transfer. This number is likely to double over the next year.

Dr Nigel Rata, head IT infrastructure manager at Royal Holloway, said: “Cutting-edge IT, especially connectivity, is vital to attracting students in a highly competitive marketplace. Unlike a traditional business, our IT has to go beyond the office, across a 135-acre campus, to serve about 8,000 internet-hungry students and staff. In the summer months, the campus is open as a business facility too.

“With so much at stake, we wanted a trusted technology partner who we knew would deliver, which is why we chose Data Integration.”

Simon Crumplin, chief executive of Data Integration, said: “Royal Holloway evaluated a number of wireless networking vendors before choosing Aruba as the best technology fit for its requirements. We have recently deployed an Aruba solution at the University of Exeter which was procured through the NHS PASA framework, and we were able to extend these terms to Royal Holloway to achieve best value.”